Defining Strength
by Estrelle Buscador
Summary: After the Ceremonial Duel, the Pharaoh is finally back in the Afterlife. But life does not end for his friends with his departure. They must continue on, and in the process figure out what true strength really is. Series of character perspective one-shots
1. Empathy

Greetings Readers! This is the beginning of a series of one-shots I am writing about the Ceremonial Duel in the perspectives of different Yu-Gi-Oh! characters. This one-shot is in Ryou's point of view, and takes place three weeks after Yami journeys back to the Afterlife. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. But I can dream.

* * *

Rolling the pencil absent-mindedly in my fingers, I looked down at my test paper and sighed. In my opinion, it took a particular kind of sadistic tendency for teachers to set a test within the first two weeks of school. Although it could've been worse – they could have asked for us to have written an essay on "What I Did During My Vacation." I hid a smirk at the thought as I bent back over the test. _That would be an interesting paper: "During my vacation I traveled to Egypt. I didn't do the usual sight-seeing thing – I didn't see any museums or pyramids, but I did go inside an ancient tomb. Unfortunately, I was unable to take photographs as I spent most of that time unconscious when the malevolent being residing in my body unceremoniously ripped itself from me in an attempt to take over the world – again. When he'd been defeated, I regained my senses just in time to see one of my good friends fight a battle with himself – literally – and then saw the spirit of an ancient pharaoh journey to the afterworld. Then I read a lot of books. The End." _The look on the teacher's face would have been hilarious – but it probably wouldn't be worth the perplexed inquiries of the school psychologists.

Grinning, I circled the final answer and walked to the front to turn in my test. As I turned back around to go to my seat, I looked at the others and smiled. My friends. It still seems incredible that I have them, especially considering all that my yami put them through. Téa looked up from her test and smiled at me, Tristan's eyes were focused as he drummed his fingers on the desktop, and Joey gnawed at the eraser of his pencil. Yugi, the only other student who'd finished the test, gave me a big smile, and then returns to the brainteasers he'd brought for such an occasion. If I'd been close enough, I'd have asked for one to pass the time, but as it was I was stuck in the classroom for the next hour with nothing to do. I cupped my chin in my hand and sighed. If only I'd brought a book or something…

Something hit the side of my foot, breaking me out of my vague depression over my impending boredom. I looked down. Besides my foot, I saw a small booklet of brainteasers. I looked up in time to see Yugi pulling another booklet out of his backpack before he caught my eye and gave me a clandestine grin. He must have seen me looking bored and kicked the brainteasers over to me – that would be a typical Yugi move, making sure his friends were happy. I was glad he still had something for himself – I wouldn't put it past him to give up his only source of entertainment and resign himself to an hour of boredom. I mouthed, "Thank you," when the teacher wasn't looking, to which he responded with a nod and a thumbs up beneath his desk.

Yugi had been tearing through the brainteasers so quickly that I wasn't expecting too hard of a challenge, but looking down at the problems give me a headache – an interested headache, but a headache nonetheless. I am not dumb – I'm one of the smartest people in our year – but I had forgotten that Yugi was the King of Games for a reason. His strategic knowledge and the malleable quality of his brain required to solve puzzles and riddles was unmatched – it required more than brain power to be an expert, it required instinct.

I was debating on the best possible way to communicate my need for a cheat sheet of some kind when I heard a subdued snap coming from Yugi's side of the class. Looking over, I saw Yugi slide his booklet into his desk and close the lid before turning his head to gaze out the window. His gaze was calm and precise, with his usual smile tugging at his mouth. Suddenly, his expression brightened a little and he tilted his head slightly to the side as though straining to hear something. Yugi held that position for a few moments before the sound of a pencil falling to the floor behind us snapped him back to reality. With a sound that was part sardonic chuckle and part resigned sigh, Yugi shook himself before returning his more sober gaze to the window.

It took a moment of knitting my eyebrows together before I realized what had happened. My heart sank. _He thought that he'd heard the Pharaoh._

Three weeks had passed after we all returned from Egypt, but it was still hard to believe that the Pharaoh was gone. The group had all dealt with it in their own way, but residual feelings of grief still remained with us, with the knowledge that the spirit was at peace only providing slight relief. It had been hard for even me to accept so I could only imagine how difficult it had been for the others – and especially for Yugi. The loss of the Pharaoh had hit him the hardest, for obvious reasons, but he'd tried to hide those feelings in an effort to not worry the others – his own grief was only revealed in his more frequently occurring serious expressions and in moments like this, when he craned his neck to hear the spirit's voice. The others could see right through him, and consoled him when they could – but in the end, they could only sympathize. I could empathize.

I knew what it was like to lose a yami – as much as I had disliked and even feared the spirit that had taken up residence in my body, it didn't change the fact that his absence left a great emptiness inside me. I didn't regret his defeat or passing – he'd shown no pity or mercy for me as his host or for my friends as he plotted his way into power. I no longer had to fear losing control of my body to a malevolent being who would not hesitate to orchestrate my body as thought it was a puppet. To feel if you have no control over your own actions, to fight for dominance within your own mind, is a terrifying feeling that only those who have experience it could possibly comprehend.

Perhaps that was why I didn't try to rush Yugi back into dueling after his duel with Kaiba during Duelist Kingdom like the others did. They didn't understand that he wasn't afraid of losing more duels, he was afraid of losing control. Not that that was surprising – after all, none of them remembered the duel in the Shadow Realm when we were trapped in our favorite cards, and if they did, they thought it had only been a dream. But Yugi and I knew better. I recognized the dull look on Yugi's face that barely concealed his terrible fear as Joey tried to shake him back to normal – I'd felt the same way once I'd finally become aware of my yami's presence. Fortunately, in time Yugi made his peace with the spirit, and they'd gone on to save the others. They'd become inseparable – and then Yugi had had to say goodbye.

When my yami had finally been defeated, I was relieved and grateful to have full rein over my body again after such a long imprisonment – and I also felt empty. I was happier than ever before, but I could not ignore the enormous emptiness within myself. In time, I learned how to carry on despite the emptiness and fill in the empty spaces – but it had not been easy. And I didn't even like my spirit.

How much harder it must be for Yugi to deal with it, then – not only with the emptiness, but with the loss of a friend? The Pharaoh had been as different from my yami as two spirits could be towards their hosts – even during the Shadow Game, before Yugi had truly realized the spirit within him, the Pharaoh had been worried about his hikari's safety and that of his friends. They'd only grown closer as time had passed and more plans to conquer the world had been failed. Yugi was the spirit's aibou – his partner – and the Pharaoh had been Yugi's protector as well as his yami.

They'd relied a lot on each other – we'd all relied on the Pharaoh's strength and cunning during his duels, and on Yugi for his encouragement when we'd been ready to give up hope. The Pharaoh had been so strong, so untouchable that we'd assumed that he valued Yugi as a friend but did not require his help. And then the Seal of Oreikalcos had ripped the two of them apart. I was not there to see it, but the others told me how the Pharaoh had fallen into despair and depression after Yugi's soul had been captured. I have no doubt that had my soul been taken away, my yami would not have given me a second thought. It wasn't until then that we realized how much the Pharaoh depended on Yugi for strength.

While the rest of us had watched with awe, trepidation, and impending grief, Yugi had gone into a duel with the spirit with an enviable kind of determination, as though it was his duty. He proved that he was strong enough to duel without the Pharaoh, and to come out victorious. It was only at the end that he allowed himself to cry – and he still played the winning move through his tears. He fell to his knees when it was all over, finally allowing himself to grieve, but the spirit had lifted him to his feet with the comforting tenderness of a father or brother. We were too far away to hear what he said to Yugi, but whatever it was made him stand a little taller and the sorrow in his eyes receded a little bit. It made him strong enough to say goodbye to his closest friend. I wonder what it was –

"Mutou! Bakura!" The teacher called in a stentorian voice.

We both straightened our backs quickly. "Yes, miss?"

"You two are finished with the test – you do not need to be in here. I do not need you inciting the others to cheat off of you."

Joey took his attention off of his pencil to glare at the teacher. He looked like he was about to say something, but a quick glance from Yugi cut him off.

Yugi looked back at the teacher, "Yes, miss. We'll get out of here."

I waited until the door closed behind us before I heaved a quick sigh. "Phew. Joey sure didn't like it when that teacher accused us of that. I thought he was going to start arguing with her."

Yugi shrugged, "I'm sure the teacher didn't mean anything by it. But he probably was going to start telling her off – it's a good thing I cut him off. He's made it through school so far without getting detention, and I don't want to be the reason he ends up in there." He grinned, "Besides, we get to get out of there early, and we have time to kill."

We both laughed, but I noticed that Yugi stopped rather quickly as his face fell into a somber set. "What's up, Yugi?"

He looked startled. "Nothing's up, Ryou."

"You sure? You didn't look very happy in class today – what were you thinking about?"

"It was that obvious?"

"I don't know if it was obvious, I just happened to notice. Were you thinking about the Pharaoh?"

"Yes. I know he's happy now and he's where he belongs – but I still miss him. It's not just that I've lost my best friend, it's like I lost a part of myself. But that sounds kind of pathetic, probably."

"Not really, Yugi. I know how you feel. It's weird walking around by yourself when you're used to another presence being around all the time. And I didn't even like my spirit. I don't know how you deal with it."

"Well," Yugi brightened a little at the memory, "I remember what Yami told me right before he left, and it makes things a little bit easier."

"What did he say?"

"Well, I'd just realized what winning that duel had meant and I didn't think that I could let him go. Then he said to me, 'You do realize we'll never be truly apart, right? The gift of the kindness you've given me, and the courage I've given you will remain with us. And that will forever bind us together.' I'm not sure how much my kindness helped him," Yugi laughed, "but I know that the courage he gave me is still with me – and I still have a connection to him when he's gone."

"So, you'll be okay?"

He gave me a genuine smile, "Yeah, I'll be okay – it'll just take a while. Want to grab something to eat before our next class?"

I nodded, "Sure." Yugi started walking down the hallway, but I paused a moment before I joined him. He didn't realize how influential he was on all of us: to go through all that he had and still be the caring, optimistic person that he was carried more power than he could possibly know. Of course he would be okay in the end.

He was strong.

* * *

A/N: And there's the first part! I hope you enjoyed it.

I've never written for Bakura's character, so hopefully it turned out all right. I am still writing the other characters' perspectives - these will not be in chronological order. Some will occur right after the Duel, others will take place a few weeks later.

Which character's perspective would you care to see next? I'm saving Yugi's and Yami's POV for the final two chapters, but the order of the others is up for grabs.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! Please push that little button at the bottom and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but purely mean comments will be sent to the Shadow Realm without hesitation. You have been warned.


	2. Friendship

Greetings Readers! Thanks to those who reviewed the first part of this. I had three votes for Joey, one for Tristan, and one for Téa, so this is Joey's point of view. It takes place right after the Ceremonial Duel. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. I just like getting into their heads.

* * *

My heart pounding in my ears, I sprinted after the others as the Pharaoh's tomb began collapsing around us. Our feet thundered across the rubble-covered floor, but could not be heard over our yells and the crashes as the stone walls fell upon themselves. We rushed back out into the daylight just in time to turn around and see the tomb fall into complete ruins. And then everything went quiet.

It was too quiet.

I stood alongside the others, waiting for something, anything, to happen as I knew it had to. When something big happened in this group, it was always followed by an even bigger emergency or adventure. But as the stillness continued its hold over us, I realized that nothing more was going to happen – there would only be the silence.

Tristan spoke up. "So this is the end? Feels weird."

Kaiba let out a derisive snort, "What were you geeks expecting?"

"Fireworks, sappy music, something." Usually I would have taken Kaiba's block off for what he said, but I was too occupied in waiting. I looked at Yugi. "At least give us one of your little wrap-up speeches, Yug."

Yugi smiled up at me. "Well, sometimes the end of one adventure is just the beginning of another!"

"Ah, much better." I let out a relieved sigh – it was good to know that some things never changed.

"So…now what?" Téa ventured after the silence had overwhelmed us again.

Ishizu readjusted her bangles. "You are most welcome to join us for a meal before you journey home. It's not much, but it should sustain you for your long trip."

"It's the least we can do," Marik added, "you did so much for us, and our duty as the Tombkeepers is complete thanks to Yugi."

"What will you do now?" Solomon asked.

"I'm not sure at the moment. I have no doubt that the right opportunity will reveal itself in due time." Ishizu turned. "Would you care to follow me?"

We all started moving, all expect Yugi, whom I noticed was still standing in the same spot. "You comin', Yug?"

He turned and grinned at me. "Yeah. Just give me a minute, okay? I'll catch up."

"Very well, Yugi." Ishizu gave him a slight bow and then began leading the others away. I tried to follow, but found that I couldn't leave.

"I'll catch up with you guys, too."

Tristan, Téa, and Duke gave me strange looks. "Is Joey Wheeler actually turning down food?" Téa asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Duke clapped a hand to his forehead, acting as though he were about to faint from shock. "That's it – the world's coming to an end."

I scowled. "Knock it off, pretty boy. I'll be there in a minute – just make sure you don't eat it all."

Tristan laughed, "No, that's your job."

Téa grabbed both of the guys by their ears and yanked them around. "Leave him alone, guys." She turned her neck to look over her shoulder. "See you soon, Joey. Yugi." And then they were gone. I walked over to where Yugi was standing.

Yugi's face was curiously set as he stared at the ruins, as though he was trying to make what had just happened seem more real. I could sympathize – it didn't feel real at all. But the Pharaoh was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Even now, Yugi was composed and earlier he'd only cried a few tears. I had no idea how he was doing it. I'd been able to put on a tough face when telling the Pharaoh goodbye, but I could feel traitorous tears prickling at the corners of my eyes as it finally began to sink in – the Pharaoh was gone. How could Yugi be so tough?

It was odd to think now that, when we'd first met each other, all I'd tried to do was make Yug more tough. At least, that's how I liked to whitewash it in my own head – really, I knew that I had bullied him with little mercy. I'd wanted to toughen him up, but I went about it in the completely wrong way. Yugi being himself had forgiven me almost instantly for the way Tristan and I used to treat him, but I hadn't really ever forgiven myself. I didn't think much about that anymore, but when I did the thoughts sent pangs of guilt and shame through me so strong that it made me sick. We'd thought he needed to be more manly, stronger – but he was able to stand up for us, his tormenters, against the most violent guy in the entire school. That took a kind of strength that I could barely begin to understand.

Maybe he'd learned that from the Pharaoh. Even before we'd discovered that the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was an ancient Egyptian king, there'd been a regal forcefulness in his manner and his expression that had been hard to miss. I'm still not sure how it took us so long to realize the Pharaoh's presence – completely ignoring the change in height when the Pharaoh took over, the stern, forceful voice should have been a dead giveaway. The Pharaoh had fearlessly fought and lead us through some of the craziest parts of our lives. And he'd possessed unbelievable power, controlling the almighty God cards with respect but also with great confidence. Heck, his name by itself was powerful enough to defeat possibly the most evil being in the universe. Having the Pharaoh within his mind for all of those years must have made Yugi strong.

But…Yugi hadn't met the Pharaoh until after he stood up for me and Tristan. He wouldn't have been able to even solve the puzzle until I returned the final piece after I'd thrown into the lake. Seeing that little guy who hated fighting stand up for us had impressed me so much that I felt like I owed him something – besides, it was my fault that the piece had gotten 'lost' anyway. It was worth the hours of searching and the cold I picked up while in the water to see the joy on Yugi's face when he'd finished the puzzle – and when I'd told him we were friends.

He also was strong enough to face Marik alone when he'd had me under mind control. Thinking about that fight still sent a chill down my spine. It was hard to tell which was worse – feeling completely helpless and unaware of what was happening, or being aware of Yugi's fear and pain but being unable to do anything about it. I'd had to fight with everything I had before I finally broke free, and it had almost been too late. I'd risked my life, but Yugi had done the same for me and there was no way I'd betray our trust and friendship by letting him die – even if he did make the decision. That made me begin to understand just how important Yug was in the bonds of our friendship – and the way we'd all nearly fallen apart when his soul was taken away by Dartz's goons drove the point home.

It had given us all a shock – but no one suffered quite as much as the Pharaoh. I knew Yug depended on him a lot, but none of us realized how much we'd depended on him or that the Pharaoh needed him just as much. Like the Pharaoh taught Yugi to be brave, Yugi had taught the Pharaoh how to be a friend. He'd learned quickly – in time, we'd almost forgotten that he was this all-powerful spirit from some ancient puzzle with magical powers. Instead, he was our friend, someone who would do anything for us no matter the risk, no matter the physical pain. He hadn't hesitated, during Battle City to shield Mai and me from Marik's attack when we were about to be barbequed. I'd been sure we were going to be goners, when I'd heard the Pharaoh yell in pain and looked back to see his eyes wide and his teeth gritted as he took the blow for us. Watching him fall made the blood boil in my veins from anger, and I knew that I'd be dead before I let his sacrifice be for nothing. That kind of sacrifice made him seem untouchable, invincible – and then Yug had been taken from us and the Pharaoh had fallen completely apart.

They were both my friends, and I would die for my friends – but the two of them had a bond that was difficult for me to understand. When Yugi had been taken away, I'd tried to shake the Pharaoh out of his depression – but I'd known even at the time that it wasn't going to work. It was like trying to knock Yugi back to his senses after he forfeited the duel with Kaiba on Pegasus' island; force wasn't going to work. They'd had to come to terms with what they were going through on their own, and it made their bond even stronger.

Maybe that's what had made Yugi so tough during the Ceremonial Duel. Sure, I realized how important the duel was, but watching the two of them – the top duelists in the world – duel each other gave me a thrill. My best friend was dueling my other best friend in the duel of the century. Of course, I was rooting for Yug, but I was captivated by watching the Pharaoh duel as well. He was my idol, my role model, and he'd taught me everything about dueling. Yugi had helped me with my cards, but the way the Pharaoh though showed me how to use them. I was in awe as I watched them duel up until the last attack, and then I saw Yugi's shoulders shake and I realized what his victory really meant. The Pharaoh was leaving for good.

I'd always prided myself on being strong, but the Pharaoh's leaving hurt more than I thought possible. How was Yugi handling it like he did? I'd always felt strong, but when I faced their combined strength, I felt like a complete weakling.

"Joey? Earth to Joey! Are you okay?"

I shook myself and noticed that Yugi had walked over to me and was tapping my shoulder. "I guess so, Yug. It's just a lot to take in."

"Yeah, it is." He looked at me quizzically. "Something else is bothering you."

I sighed, "I just hate being weak."

Yugi's eyebrows furrowed. "Weak? Why do you think you're weak?"

"Why am I taking this so hard, then?"

"You think that being sad makes you weak?" Yugi shook his head, "It doesn't, Joey – it makes you a better person. Besides, you're one of the least weak people I know."

"You're just tryin' to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. Think about it: you worked hard to save Serenity and get her the money she needed for her operation by dueling when you didn't know anything about it. You risked your life to save my cards when I was gullible enough to give them to Weevil. You put yourself in harm's way to save Mai even when you had been arguing. And you managed to fight off Marik's mind control in time to save me from drowning."

I winced, "Only after you managed to break me out of it."

"Which I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't been fighting it from the inside. You were strong enough to break free – our friendship was strong enough." He cleared his throat, and his voice was strained as he continued, "Thanks, Joey."

I look down at him, confused. "For what?"

Yugi was still smiling, but for the first time I could see the tears of grief beginning to pool in his eyes. "For what you said to the Pharaoh. I was just about to lose it when I heard you say that everything he'd given us would remain in our hearts. I needed to hear that. Thanks for being my friend and sticking with me through everything. I don't know what I would have done without our friendship to keep me strong."

_Strong. My friendship made him strong._ I paused to wipe some sand out of my eye. Yugi smiled and turned away to let me do it. He understood.

"You ready to catch up now?" He asked when I had finished.

"Yeah, better get there before they eat it all."

Yugi laughed, "Come on, let's go."

We began sprinting towards the others.

Our friendship was strong enough to get us through everything that we'd been through, now it would have to be strong enough to continue on without the Pharaoh. We could do it.

When we were together, anything was possible.

* * *

A/N: I was really nervous about this one. I hope it sounded like Joey - I figured that the strength of the friendship between him and Yugi would help him say goodbye to the Pharaoh...here's hoping it sounded right!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please press that little button at the bottom and review. I want to hear what you think, and I want to know which perspective you'd like to hear next! Again, Yugi and Yami are saved for the end, but the order of the other characters are up for grabs.

Please review! :)


	3. Love

Greetings Readers! Thanks for reading and here is the next perspective!

A special thanks to all those who reviewed and voted. You guys are awesome! One voted for Mokuba, one voted for an undisclosed minor character, two voted for Téa, and two voted for Tristan. Not knowing what to do, I did what any sane person would do...I flipped a coin multiple times to figure out whether I would write for Téa or Tristan next. Téa won, so here is her perspective. It takes place the afternoon after the Ceremonial Duel. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. I feel like I'm repeating myself repeating myself.

* * *

The engines roared into life as the airplane taxied out of the terminal and began its path along the runway of the Cairo airport. I looked over Yugi's head to see out of the window and watched the surrounding buildings blur as we picked up speed. Soon we would be out of the bustling city, and all we could see then would be the enormous deserts of Egypt. Maybe we could even get a glimpse of what remained of the Pharaoh's tomb –

Everyone in the plane gave exclamations of surprise as the plane was wracked by a sudden burst of turbulence. Joey looked out of the window and then began sputtering, his face red. I craned my neck around Yugi to take a look – and immediately understood why Joey was upset. Kaiba and his little brother Mokuba had just zoomed by in their private jet.

Joey was shaking his fist at the rapidly disappearing jet. "Hey! Watch it! Where'd ya learn ta fly, ya hack?"

I rolled my eyes. "Joey, I don't think he can hear you."

Tristan folded his arms. "And it's not like he would care if he did. Pompous jerk."

"Hey." Yugi looked over at the others. "It's okay, and we're all fine. Besides, if he hadn't brought his jet, Kaiba would be flying with us and I don't think you'd like that."

"No kidding."

"He probably didn't mean to do that, anyway."

Joey shrugged. "Who knows? Why do ya stick up for him, Yug? He's done more to you than to anybody else."

Yugi smiled. "I think he's better than he lets on, anyway – look at how much he cares for Mokuba. It's like the way you look out for Serenity."

Joey looked thoughtful, and Tristan looked lovesick at the mention of Joey's sister. Joey noticed the look and punched Tristan in the shoulder. "Hey, knock it off, that's my sister!"

Tristan gave him a cocky grin, and they began jokingly heckling each other. Yugi and I looked at each other and chuckled – once again, Yugi had successfully defused a Joey bomb. We both returned to looking out the window.

The lights and bustle of Cairo already seemed far behind us – it had been replaced by the vast expanses of sun-beaten sand scattered with ancient architecture. From our bird's-eye view, the mighty pyramids looked so small that I could easily balance them in the palm of my hand. I never had much interest in Egyptian stuff until the Pharaoh had come into our lives – that had been Yugi's thing – but I was completely captivated by what was below us. I had almost forgotten what had happened that morning when we flew over a pile of rubble - and then my entire body went cold. That was all that was left of the Pharaoh's tomb.

All the memories I'd tried to keep at bay came rushing back. Giving the Pharaoh the cartouche. Following him into the world of his memories. Watching him save the world from Zorc after we'd shown him his name. The Ceremonial Duel. I closed my eyes and sighed. Why did he have to leave? Why couldn't he have stayed behind with us? I knew the answers, but I couldn't keep myself from asking the questions. I couldn't bear to watch as the Pharaoh's life points went to zero, couldn't bear to watch him lose. I didn't want to have to say goodbye – but we'd had to. And I'd known it was for the best. No that that had stopped me from almost running after the Pharaoh like an idiot. It was a good thing Joey had stopped me; I would have made an absolute fool of myself. It was just so hard.

Yugi sniffed and rubbed his nose, and the sound broke me from my thoughts. I saw the look of sorrow creasing his face as he gazed out over the desert, and felt a pang of guilt clench my heard. I'd thought it was hard for me, but it must be much more painful for Yugi. With a strange jolt that was either shock or reminiscence, I thought about sitting besides the Pharaoh on the train when we'd been searching for Yugi's soul – the look of pain and guilt on his face then was almost identical to the look on Yugi's face now. I guess the situations were similar enough for that to happen – both of them had done something that had sent their other half away; although the Pharaoh deserved the guilt because he'd acted in anger and Yugi didn't because he'd acted out of duty and friendship. Not that it probably felt much different to Yugi. It was just another way that they were similar. The similarity between them was what made everything so confusing for me. You see, I knew that I was in love with Yugi.

I just didn't know which Yugi I was in love with.

It felt callous to think so, but I had a hard time distinguishing which was Yugi and which was the Pharaoh at times. It had been a clear enough distinction at the beginning when we'd first discovered the presence of the Pharaoh, but as time passed it became harder to tell them apart. They both learned from each other. Both of them were brave, facing down all kinds of terrifying odds and deadly struggles. Both were protective – they saved me from that thug who'd tried to mug me, Yugi had given me his jacket when I'd been trapped in an iceberg in the virtual world, the Pharaoh had protected me in our travels to save Yugi from the Oreikalcos. Both were willing to do whatever it took to do what was right, and both were strong. The only real difference I could pick out with certainty was in their facial expressions, and that Yugi was more carefree and fun-loving when the Pharaoh was much sterner. But I was just dancing around the subject without making a real definite decision - sometimes it was a shame that I was so good at dancing...

I mentally shook myself. This was not the time to be thinking about this. I was just avoiding thinking about what had happened – that the Pharaoh was gone for good. As much as I tried to distract myself with the kind of potential love triangle that would make writers for soap operas shake their heads in disbelief, there was no avoiding that fact. I couldn't believe we'd had to say goodbye. I loved the Pharaoh – although romantically or as a brother I couldn't determine. I watched Yugi sigh and reach a hand up to where his puzzle usually hung around his neck. He absent-mindedly fingered the air before he came to himself and realized that it was no longer there. The dejected noise he made along with the pain dominating his eyes broke my heart. How could I be so selfish? Yugi needed a friend right now.

I tentatively reached a hand out to put it on his shoulder when the flight attendant came by with drink requests and I let it drop. She didn't look much older than us, and I noticed that she winked at Yugi as she handled him his bottled water. Yugi let out a mortified squeak and flushed a brilliant red as the guys chuckled appreciatively in front of us. They barely managed to contain themselves until she left, then both leaned over the backs of the seats to look at Yugi.

"Nice going, Yug. You're my hero." Joey grinned.

"Yeah, how do you do it?"

Yugi simultaneously shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know. It's not like I'm trying."

"Oh yeah, that makes us feel much better, Yug. If only I had that kind of luck."

They may have thought it was funny, but I was steaming. I could only hope that the red I was seeing wasn't appearing on my face. I blew a thin steam of air through my teeth in an effort to calm myself. _Well, one thing's for sure: I don't think I'd be feeling like this if I thought of Yugi as a brother. I'm jealous._

Somehow, having that feeling for Yugi felt traitorous towards the Pharaoh, although I knew there was no legitimate reason for it. It wasn't as though I'd had more than a crush on him, or even that he realized the way I felt, which I doubted. It was just so confusing, everything that had happened. I envied the others for being so strong through this, and wished I could be the same.

"What's the matter, Téa?" Yugi was giving me a concerned look, and I wondered how long he'd been trying to get my attention. Even if he was suffering himself, Yugi was so caring towards others – which was one of the things I loved about him.

_So you admit you love him, then? _A cocky voice sounded in my mind.

I managed to hide my blush as I willed the voice to shut up already. So I loved him; there was no reason to be smug about it. I did love him, but I needed to be sure that I was sure about that before I told him. I owed Yugi that much.

_That, and you're too much of a coward to do it now._

I groaned internally – the voice just wouldn't take a hint.

"Téa?" Yugi looked worried now.

I smiled at him, but the smile was weak. "I'm fine – it's just had to believe that he's gone." As hard as I tried to keep them reined it, I could feel tears building up before my eyes. Feebly, I tried to push them away - I didn't need to burden him with this.

Yugi put a hand on my shoulder. "I know what you mean, Téa – I miss him too. But he's where he belongs at last, and he's at peace now. If we just remember that, it should be easier."

He probably was saying that as much for himself as he was for me, but all his focus was on making me feel better. That was Yugi through and through, and I loved him for it. I managed to keep my blush hidden as I smiled back, more strongly this time. "You're right, Yugi. Thank you."

He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and we both looked out the window again with more peaceful expressions. Yugi straightened up a little, the weight on his shoulders seeming to have lessened slightly as he pointed out landmarks at Joey and Tristan's request. I watched my friends laugh and I realized something.

We would get through this together. The Pharaoh wouldn't have wanted us to mope around and stop living just because he'd gone on. I would tell Yugi how I felt about him someday. Someday soon.

I just hoped I'd be strong enough when the time came.

* * *

A/N: And that's my spin on what Téa was thinking. It's pretty much been established that she had strong feelings about both Yami and Yugi - and so I figured that might be weighing on her mind when Yami left along with just plain missing him. I hope it came out all right!

I hope you enjoyed it! Please press that little button now and review - I want to hear what you think! I also want to hear whose perspective you want to read next - should it be Tristan's POV or someone else's? Once again, all the characters besides Yugi and Yami are up for grabs.

Thanks again and please review! :)


	4. Action

Greetings Readers! I realize this is an obnoxiously quick update, but I'd written it at the same time as I'd written Téa's - and when more people wanted me to put Tristan's perspective next, I figured that I might as well! This is Tristan's POV, and it takes place right after the tomb collapses. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. Please don't rub it in.

* * *

My face was slick with sweat and my heart was pounding from exertion as I stumbled out of the Pharaoh's tomb before it collapsed. I could feel the rumble of the collapse in every bone of my body and I hoped that everyone had made it out all right. Sand was spraying everywhere, pounding into my eyes and teeth with incredible force. And then out of the cacophony and the rush and the force came an unexpected stillness and silence. We all waited as though frozen, waiting for the inevitable adventure to happen. But we waited on, and nothing happened. It was weird.

I could hear myself saying that, and Kaiba responded in his usual sarcastic way. Joey had countered Kaiba's scorn as usual, but it was missing the usual combativeness. Truthfully, we were all too much in shock over what had happened to care about what Kaiba had said. As we waited on in silence, my fists began itching to do something to break the silence, to start on the new mission that would undoubtedly come soon. I couldn't stand doing nothing – but I slowly realized that there was nothing to do. The Pharaoh was gone for good, and there was nothing we could do about it.

And that was driving me nuts.

I'm a man of action. Not to say that I am unable of thought or decision-making that didn't require the use of force, but I felt more at ease when force was involved. Things made a lot more sense when you were actually doing something with your own muscles and sweat. In a world that was becoming increasingly surreal, what with the take-over-the-world plots, supernatural forces, and possessed Egyptian artifacts, I could always trust the cool certainty that came from using my fists.

After all, they had served me well over the years. After all, it had helped me save those kids that Pegasus' goons kept victimizing during Duelist Kingdom. It gave me the presence of mind to get Mokuba's body from Pegasus' castle to a safer place until Yugi could win back his soul. Heck, I was able to take out the supernatural being in the Millennium Ring just with the element of surprise and my fists in order to save Mokuba from possession. I protected Serenity when she was still recovering from her eye surgery when the Rare Hunters had come after us. I'd been able to rescue Yugi after he'd nearly drowned in the duel against Joey when Joey'd been possessed by Marik. I like to think that my ability to take action quickly had served my friends well.

Of course, that impulse occasionally made me do really foolish things. I mean, I tried to punch out a boulder after it had 'flattened' Ryou and had cornered me, Yugi, and Téa in a cave. When faced with the weird dome-bubble-thingy that Yugi was trapped in during his Shadow Game with Pegasus, I chose to charge right through it. Even though I didn't know much about shadow magic, I should have known better than to rush into a dark, mysterious chasm. And I still wasn't living down the fact that my plan to rid the world of a malevolent spirit that was possessing Ryou's ring…was to throw the Ring into the forest without even looking to see where it had landed. We still had no idea how the Right found its way back to Ryou in the first place, but I should've done something more fool-proof than that.

And sometimes, rushing into action was just plain stupid. The most embarrassing and most painfully recent reminder of this was, of course, when I punched the Spirit of the Millennium Ring when we were in the world of the Pharaoh's memories. He'd deserved it – he'd just sent our friend plummeting off a cliff, probably to his death – and I was beyond mad. But even before he'd calmly taken the blow, I knew I was in trouble – and when he'd licked the blood from his lip with a sadistic smile, I knew I was way beyond being in trouble. He'd taken my body over and used it as a puppet to trick my friends and to try to keep them from learning the Pharaoh's name. And Yugi, the guy I'd always felt the need to defend from all the freaky magic that seemed to target us, had had to save me. It was embarrassing – I hated feeling helpless. Yugi had really stepped up for me. And to think I used to think of him as weak.

Yugi had changed a lot from when I first known him – the Pharaoh had probably shown him courage and taught him how to be brave. My eyebrows furrowed. But was that really true? I watched Yugi and Joey run up to us and suddenly realized that we'd been walking for a while. Yugi had become a lot more courageous since meeting the spirit, but maybe he'd always been brave. After all, he had stood up for me and Joey when we were being beaten by the school thug before he'd even completed the puzzle and released the Pharaoh. I'd never though of Yugi as strong because he was shorter than most, timid, and hated to fight. But he was able to face a much larger, dangerous opponent knowing full well he could be beaten within an inch of his life, and all for two guys who'd never done a single nice thing for him. That was a different kind of strength than I'd been used to, a strength that seemed to come from something within, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Yugi was now walking just ahead of me, smiling and answering some of Ishizu's questions about his adventures with the Pharaoh. It was that strength he'd had that was keeping him going now. It had kept him composed while he was dueling the Pharaoh in the Ceremonial Duel. It had helped him stand still and let the Pharaoh go once he'd won. That seemed to be the hardest thing of all to bear – watching the Pharaoh leave without being able to stop him. I'd actually started crying when we'd had to say goodbye, which I never did, but Yugi had only cried a few tears and had encouraged the Pharaoh at the very end. He was probably the toughest of all of us.

We've tried to keep Yugi safe and to stand by him through everything – but in the end it was his strength that saved us and kept us together. That was something that had more impact than any physical show of force ever could. I didn't understand what it was, exactly, but there was one thing I knew for certain. Our adventures weren't over – it was like Yugi said, this was just the beginning. We could face anything life threw at us, because combined we were strong.

It was a strength that far out powered any physical force.

* * *

A/N: Okay, now the set-up of this one was just tricky. When I first started planning this perspective out, my biggest goal was that it NOT sound exactly like Joey's. I thought about it for a while, and then came to the conclusion that, in the series, Tristan tended to be the man of action - even more so than Joey. I felt that the difference between physical strength and inner strength would be a good way to show him dealing with the loss of the Pharaoh. I hope it sounds right!

Anyway, thanks for reading so far and I hope you enjoyed it!

Please press that little button at the bottom and review! Also, let me know which perspective you'd like to see next. I am covering the perspectives of everyone at the Ceremonial Duel - Yugi and Yami are saved for the end, but the order of the others are negotiable.

Thanks again, and please review!


	5. Victory

Greetings Readers! Thanks for sticking with me thus far, and here is the next perspective!

A special thanks to all those who have reviewed or favorited this story (or both) - you guys are awesome! This time, overwhelmingly, the majority requested Seto Kaiba's POV - and here it is. It takes place during the Ceremonial Duel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. Sigh.

* * *

I made no effort to hide my frustration as I followed Yugi and the others down the stone steps to where the Ceremonial Duel was going to take place. This should have been my chance for victory, not his. It was the victory that he and his Pharaoh friend had stolen from me all those years ago.

Victory is all that I really have. All that I have, all that I am, I've worked hard and long for – I've earned it. I've heard idiots at school and in the press that make it sound like I've lived some kind of fairy-tale life. A young orphan taken in by one of the wealthiest men in the country, raised with every luxury and groomed to become one of the most powerful CEOs in the world. Oh yeah, a real Cinderella story, I growled internally, it's just a shame that it's not true. Gozaburo had adopted us, but that was where the fairy tale stopped. He'd been completely cold and heartless, not even bothering to throw us a crumb of kindness – something I probably should have foreseen when I'd had to beat him in a chess game just to make him adopt Mokuba. We were never his sons in any sense of the word – I was just an investment that he wouldn't let go to waste. Every waking moment, I worked; studying or practicing or strategizing or planning with little rest. And it had paid off. I smirked. I'd been successful, I'd been victorious, I'd been able to turn the tables on my adoptive father and bring the company into the hands of the one who truly deserved it. At times, I wanted to rub that in the faces of those who claimed I'd led a charmed life – but I didn't need their pity. I did not enjoy my childhood, or lack thereof, but it had made me strong. And I'd grown stronger with every success, every title, every victory, being the best of the best in anything I'd bothered to deal with – until some shrimp called Yugi took my title away from me.

That's why I needed to battle the Pharaoh myself, so that I could reclaim the title that was rightfully mine. I didn't come all this way to watch Yugi battle his imaginary friend.

I still wasn't willing to accept all this hocus-pocus junk that Ishizu Ishtar had been shoving down my throat for the last four years. An ancient Egyptian Pharaoh used magic to force his soul into a magical artifact which was then released when the Puzzle was completed. And then the spirit of the Pharaoh traveled back into the past, a past that involved a priest who I was supposedly the reincarnation of, rediscovered his name and then used it to defeat a great evil. Yeah, that was credible. And they wondered why I chose to disbelieve them every time they brought this magic nonsense up. A frustrating voice at the back of my mind wheedled me about the time my soul had been trapped in a card, the visions I'd had of ancient Egypt, my obsession with the Blue Eyes White Dragon – how could I explain those away?

I shoved the voice away. Show me the facts, the hard data, the proof. That's what I could believe, not this flimsy fluff they'd been trying to pass off as the truth. I turned to where Yugi was now standing – alone, I noticed. It was like I'd been saying: there was no way that this magic stuff could possibly be –

The Eye of Wdjat glowed a great gold, and suddenly Yugi was split in two right in front of us. My eyes widened slightly, but otherwise my expression didn't slip and betray the enormous shock I was feeling.

_What was that you were saying?_ The voice snidely countered.

I ignored it. There was no way I was going to give that voice any satisfaction about this. I watched the two Yugis turn from each other and walk to the opposite ends of the altar and allowed myself to raise an eyebrow. So maybe there was some truth to what they'd been saying – at any rate, it was hard to discount the fact that there were two Yugis in front of us now. It's hard to be skeptical when faced with something life that. I guessed we were about to see who the true King of Games really was. Although I already had a pretty good idea of who it was.

I couldn't stop myself from the sharp intake of breath I gave when the Pharaoh brought all three Egyptian god cards into play at the same time. That only confirmed what I'd already suspected – that the Pharaoh was the one who was the true King of Games. And this trip had been a complete waste of my time. One I didn't plan to indulge in any longer. I turned to leave – I would be able to duel the Pharaoh at another time anyway.

"Hey! Where do ya think you're going?"

I unhurriedly looked towards Wheeler who was red in the face from yelling. The geek actually thought that Yugi could pull this off. How could all his friends miss what was going on? Yugi was about to get trounced by three Egyptian gods – the most powerful cards in the entire game. I'd spent months devising strategies that could defeat them once Yugi had possessed them all and had come up with nothing. It was clear to me what the outcome would be – if the geek squad thought that Yugi could still win, they were delusional. It was even more clear to me that Yugi didn't deserve the victory he'd won for me, and any of the others that had followed. He was nothing more than a coward who hid during his duels and made his lookalike fight for him. He hid the way people accused me of hiding behind my wealth – the only difference was that, in my case, it wasn't true. Yugi was weak.

Although that tone of his voice was surprisingly strong as he also yelled after me, asking why I didn't want to watch his defeat if it came. He didn't get it – his defeat would only be sweet if I was the one crushing him. For someone else to defeat him would simply waste my time as I would then have to chase his victor down to reclaim my title. And even that victory would not be as satisfying as beating Yugi.

I 'owed it' to the Pharaoh? I didn't believe so – I still wasn't convinced about all that reincarnation stuff anyway…unbidden, memories of things I'd never done filled my mind: rescuing a young girl from slavers, rising to a position of power in the Pharaoh's court by my work alone, looking deep into the most captivating beautiful blue eyes I'd ever seen, accepting the Millennium Puzzle and the kingship with a strange mix of sorrow, duty, and honor…I tried to mentally shake these thoughts from my head with little success. Maybe I did have some sort of bond with the Pharaoh…I should at least stay to step in and defeat him once Yugi inevitably failed.

I should have realized that nothing is inevitable.

I didn't even try to contain my shock as my mouth fell open. The Egyptian god cards had been defeated…all of them…in the same turn. I didn't think that was possible, but Yugi had done it. I looked towards the small figure before us, his stance determined and his eyes confident, with newfound respect. I was wrong – Yugi was the true King of Games. I heard the audible shock in Wheeler's voice and inwardly cursed myself – I thought I had only thought that, not said it. Choosing to ignore Wheeler's jubilant expression, I turned to face Yugi. I remembered the defiance in his eyes when I'd tried to threaten him into letting me duel the Pharaoh, and even then I'd been impressed, although I was still furious at the time.

He needed to be strong to beat the Pharaoh in this duel. After suffering the loss of the three most powerful cards in his deck, the Spirit had once more turned the duel in his favor, summoning the Dark Magician. Yugi now had to face his more famous monster in battle - Mokuba was right, we should have sold tickets. If the others were to be believed - and as much as I'd tried to fight it, I was beginning to believe - the Dark Magician was the spirit of one of the Pharaoh's most trusted priests. It would be a bond that had stretched over five thousand years, a bond like - I blinked in surprise. Like the bond I have with the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I completely acknowledged my obsession with the Dragon - an obsession that made a lot more sense when connected with the beautiful woman of the ancient past - and it had been the obsession that had led to me confronting Yugi in the first place. Before that, he'd been some shrimpy shy kid who loved games and seemed to attract beatings like a magnet, and I'd never seen a reason to bother with him.

I wonder, would any of this have happened if I hadn't gone after his grandfather's Blue Eyes? If I hadn't defeated his grandfather, Yugi wouldn't have decided to duel with me. If he hadn't dueled with me, I wouldn't have lost my title to him. If I hadn't lost my title, Pegasus wouldn't have learned about Yugi and his Millennium Puzzle. If he hadn't known, maybe he wouldn't have started Duelist Kingdom to get his hands on it...and so on. It felt like everything was connected to my decision somehow. Would I take it back if I could? Maybe I would still be the undisputed champion if I hadn't tried to get that card.

I shook my head. No, I wouldn't take it back - to want that title without justly earning it, fearing that Yugi would someday duel me for it, would be cowardice. And I am not a coward - I will get it back one day, but by my own guts.

Besides, it was probably destiny governing all these events - for once, I was merely a player.

I inwardly groaned. Great. Now I'm thinking like the geeks.

Almost in a daze, I couldn't stop myself from walking forward as the gold sarcophagus of Yugi's opened, and he sent an Egyptian god to the graveyard - again. I was impressed more than I had ever been before, so impressed hat there was no room for sarcasm or skepticism. Yugi truly was the King of Games.

With victory in his grasp, Yugi hesitated before playing his final move, and I could see his hands shaking. This was confusing; how could he be upset now, after he'd dealt with the hardest parts of the duel? I became even more confused after he'd won. Instead of grinning with victory or running to his friends to celebrate, he fell to his knees and his shoulders began to shake. It gave me a shock to see the tears falling from his eyes. Why would he cry? He'd just won in the ultimate duel, beaten the Pharaoh, proved to everyone that he was without a doubt the King of Games, and was victorious. I didn't understand.

I watched with the rest as the Pharaoh walked on into the Afterlife, his modern-day clothes seamlessly fading into royal garments. I couldn't stop the awe building in my chest, and I saw his ancient court opening before him. There was a not totally unpleasant jolt in my heart when I saw past the Pharaoh to a priest that looked a lot like me. Maybe there was something to that reincarnation theory...

No, I must be getting soft.

After narrowly escaping being crushed to death, Ishizu invited us over for lunch. I would have said no, as I have a company to run, but Mokuba insisted. There are times when I can't deny that kid anything. Despite my assurances that we could find something better elsewhere, Mokuba persisted and I gave in. It wasn't a bad lunch.

I didn't feel like talking much, so in between listening to Mokuba talk with the others I took time to watch Yugi. He didn't look like he'd just won something - instead, he almost looked like he'd lost everything. He would occasionally laugh at one of Wheeler's jokes or smile when Gardner looked at him, but otherwise he looked subdued, almost unhappy.

What was there to be unhappy about? He'd just proven himself to be the greatest in the world - Yugi should have been ecstatic. He wasn't like me at all; I would have bee proud, confident, sure to remind everyone of what I'd done - and I would have deserved to because I would have earned that right. But Yugi didn't act like I believed a champion would.

Their flight had to leave soon afterwards, and we prepared to leave as well. Mokuba had asked if we could join them, but I put my foot down - brotherly ties aside, I did not need to tolerate Wheeler's jokes and bad airplane food at the same time. Mokuba ran off to say goodbye, and for some reason I walked over to Yugi to tell him we were leaving.

I went over to where he was standing alone, staring out towards where the tomb had once stood. I was about to cough to indicate my presence when I heard his voice and let the sound die in my throat.

"Well, Pharaoh, I guess this is goodbye. I miss you already, but I know you're home now. You're at peace. You're where you belong. And I was able to help you get there. I wish you the best, and I'll never forget you."

He suddenly turned towards me, and his eyes widened with surprise. I could see tears in them, but at the same time they looked at peace. And he seemed...happy.

I was confused. This seemed to be my day for that.

"What is it, Kaiba? Is there something you need?" His tone was polite but curious.

"No. I was just saying that we were leaving now. Rest while you can on the way back, because we will be having a duel soon. Just because you beat the Egyptian god cards doesn't mean I'll be afraid to face you. And I will."

Yugi laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Fly safe, and see you in Domino."

The limo I hired brought Mokuba and me to my jet. As we climbed in and did some rudimentary maintenance, my mind came back to Yugi. What could have made him so happy at the end when his victory did not?

It suddenly came to me as we were lifting off the ground. A victory had made him happy, but the victory I had been thinking of.

There is more than one kind of victory. Not all victories rely on titles, trophies, and prestige. Not all victories bring joy or jubilation. Some victories cause pain, sorrow, and heartache - and these can be the most worthwhile of all. Some victories do not come with physical rewards or bragging rights - they come with a knowledge of something deep within oneself that can not always be seen by others. The true meaning of victory can be elusive - and only the truly strong can see true victory where it occurs.

I didn't bother to hide my smirk as I sped past their airplane. _Not that I'd let those losers know I think that._

_We will duel again, Yugi. You've proven yourself the King of Games, and your ability to defeat the Egyptian god cards has only made me more eager to challenge you. We will face each other again._

_And when that time comes, may the strongest man win._

* * *

A/N: In order to write this, I had to watch the last episodes a few times. I'd already looked at the last part of the final episode to get everyone's reactions - but to write Seto's, I felt that I needed to focus on the duel itself more than I had before for the others. A lot of people had been asking for this POV, so lots of pressure (self-inflicted mostly) to get it right. I hope that it sounds like him!

Thanks for reading so far! I hope you enjoyed it. Now, please push that little button at the bottom and review! Also, you can place your vote for which character's POV you want to see next! I will cover all of the characters present at the Ceremonial Duel. As always, Yami and Yugi are coming at the end, but the order of the rest is up for negotiation.

Thanks again and please review!


	6. Forgiveness

Greetings Readers! Once again, thanks for continuing to read this series, and here comes the next part! A very special thanks to those who have reviewed and voted – you guys inspire me!

This time, the majority wanted Marik Ishtar, so here is his perspective. It takes the evening after the Ceremonial Duel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. But I live in hope.

* * *

I had been walking a long time before I no longer could hear the bustle of people or the loud chaos of the streets of Cairo. Free from the clutter of the city, Egypt's deserts spread out majestically in front of me, covering the land from horizon to horizon without interruption. I detachedly noticed that the sun was beginning to set, and realized how I had been walking. It hadn't been long after Yugi and his friends had boarded their plane for home when I felt like I needed to walk, to sort everything out in my mind. I could sense Ishizu trying to reach out for me, probably to see what I was doing, but Odion grabbed her shoulder so that she would let me go. I was grateful – this was something I needed to do alone.

Now that I realized that the sun was setting, I slackened my pace so that I could watch it. By degrees, the landscape became a little darker, a little colder. The shadows of the few landmarks began to lengthen, then to broaden, and then to blur as the ground grew dark as the shadows themselves. When my mind was clear enough to appreciate it, I was always in awe of how the light changed through the passage of the day. So few people could understand the pure miracle of watching the sun rise and fall, of watching the sun hues blacken into darkness and then return to light for the start of the day. Many took that for granted, couldn't understand what a marvel they were allowed to see everyday. For years, I'd never known what that miracle was like, never seen thedifference between night and day – the underground chambers of the tomb looked the same hour after hour, my father the other reason I knew when to sleep or when to wake. I felt a little bitterness within my heart but did not know why and so shoved it away. It was not the time to think on that.

The golden sun had just crowned the horizon when my feet came to a stop. I had not started out with a destination in mind, but when I came to the end of my journey I was not surprised to see where I was. I was at the Pharaoh's tomb, or what remained of it. I leaned against one of the stone pillars and sighed, closing my eyes. All my life, I wanted to escape from this palace – to see what lay in the world above, but I never rightfully could. I was forbidden to leave as a child and I stayed; I was forbidden to leave as an adult but left – but I was still not free of the duty that tied me here. But now, I was free of my vengeance against the Pharaoh, I was free of my duty of my family as the Tombkeepers – but I still was not free of this place. Strangely, now that I was truly free to leave, I was continually compelled to return here.

But why? I slid down the roughness of the pillar until I was sitting on the sand, my eyes still closed.

For years, my desire for revenge against the Pharaoh had dominated everything – the horror of seeing my own father's lifeless corpse burned into me such an overpowering hatred that it would not let me be. And to see a loyalist of the Pharaoh hovering before me and to be told that he was the one who had killed my father only intensified my previously dormant resentment for the Pharaoh until it nearly split me in two. In my tortured mind, it seemed like it all came back to the Pharaoh – he was the reason I was trapped in the tombs for my entire existence without being able to see the sun or feel its warmth on my skin. He was the reason that I'd had my back carved open in some ritualistic ceremony. He was the one who'd caused my father to die. And he would pay.

I covered my face in silent shame. Now I knew better – none of what I had believed was actually true. The loyalist of the Pharaoh had not killed my father; instead, an evil part of myself had. It was the own evil within my soul which had manifested itself through my own physical and psychological torment that had killed my father, using my own hands to do it. I'd only thought otherwise because Odion had told me so – but I couldn't blame him for the lie. He'd only wanted to protect me from the truth – what child could bear a burden as terrible as that? _Not that I hadn't already borne similar burdens,_ I thought with the same twinge of bitterness as before.

I took a deep breath to dispel the bitterness and picked up a handful of cool sand which I let run through my fingers slowly. Odion. Despite not having my parents as his own, he was my brother. The ties he'd forged with me were stronger than any bonds of blood, and he was always there to protect me. I sighed as I watched the last of the sand fall to the ground. _And then I took those bonds of brotherhood, the selfless love, and I betrayed it. I let it be consumed by bitterness and hate and foolish ambition._ I had endangered his life, disregarded his fears, and treated him like a slave – and he still never left my side. My sister had left the tomb for the sole purpose of saving me from my own evil and bringing me back home. Neither of them had given up on me, despite the horror and pain I'd put them through. I loved them more than anything else in the world, but let that love be smothered by my own ambition and anger. There was no way I could earn their forgiveness, but they'd given it to me freely.

My evil side had started all of this when he killed my father – but as much as I would have liked to, I could not blame him for all the pain I had caused. I had turned my back on my duty and my family in my thirst for revenge. I had formed the Rare Hunters so they could steal for me until I became the most powerful man in the world. I had threatened and endangered innocent lives, I had used the Millennium Rod to control people as my puppets, the same way that my evil side controlled me. I trapped Yugi and his puzzle within a burning building where he nearly died. I had controlled his friends, and forced him to duel his best friend. I could sense the pain within Joey as he tried to break free, but I still maintained my control over him without pity. Both of them had been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for one another, a sacrifice that would have been unnecessary if it hadn't been for me – and even then, I did not have any regrets. In my own greed, I had nearly killed my own brother with phony cards – and I had no one to blame but myself.

It was incredible to me that any of them were willing to have me around – my family or Yugi and his friends. I certainly didn't deserve it. But Ishizu and Odion had embraced me as a prodigal brother, not a traitor, and Yugi and his friends greeted me like a friend and asked me for advice.

For the first time since I'd begun walking, I allowed a small smile to slide across my face as I remembered Yugi and his friends. We'd taken them to the airport and were waiting for their flight to take off when Joey and Tristan started arguing. Yugi had burst into laughter, Ryou smiled, and Téa merely shook her head. It had made my family laugh to watch their antics – and at that moment they seemed so you, so carefree. I didn't think there was much of a difference between our ages, but at that time we seemed decades apart. How could they still be so innocent after everything that had happened? It was so unexpected to me.

But then, none of them had been quite what I'd expected. The Pharaoh had not been at all what I'd led myself to believe – cold, haughty, sneering. Instead, he was grateful to us, respectful of the sacrifices we'd made, and staunchly protective of the people he cared about – especially Yugi. And Yugi had been unexpected too – I had subjected him to the most contemptible physical and emotional harm, but he did not hold it against me. For possessing the soul of an almighty Pharaoh, he was not pretentious in the least, and he had been extremely forgiving. They all had.

But how could they? I was grateful for it, but could not quite fathom how they could do it. I'd committed great evils against them, but they allowed me to be near them and they freed me from my duty. After all that they had been through, they were free of bitterness. They had suffered, in their own way, as much as I had – but they were happy. They were free.

So why wasn't I? Was I simply destined to never be happy from the very beginning? I felt the bitterness within me swell, inundating my heart.

Suddenly, I knew what was holding me back. I thought of my years of imprisonment, trapped by my father in my duty to a man long since dead. I thought about how my father forbade me to see the surface. I thought of the mental claustrophobia that had been constantly present in my childhood. I thought of how my father had carved open my back without conceding to my pain. I thought of how he tortured Odion when he would stand up for me. I knew what I must do. I steadied myself against the pillar and stood up. I stood in silence for a long moment and then, looking off into the distance, I spoke.

"Father, I forgive you."

There was no soaring music, no flash of magical light, but in the place of the bitterness, there was a small pool of warmth in my heart strengthening me. The forgiveness did not make the memories of my childhood fade away. It did not remove the scars from my back. It did not take away all the things I'd done in anger. But it made the ties binding me to this place dissolve into nothingness. At last, I was truly free.

I did not know what would happen now, or what I would do with the rest of my life, but it didn't matter. The answer would come in time, and there was nothing to hold me back when it came. Freedom was at last mine, and I would not waste it.

At last, I was truly strong enough to see it.

* * *

A/N: And there is Marik's POV. I thought that the resentment he had towards his duty as a Tombkeeper would still bother him once his duty was complete, so I felt he would need to come to terms with it once Yugi and the others were gone. I hope it sounds right!

I hope you enjoyed it! Now please review! And if you want, cast your vote for whose perspective you want next. I have decided to only cover the people who were actually present at the Ceremonial Duel – so the choices are Ishizu, Odion, Mokuba, Grandpa, and Duke. Yugi and Yami are coming at the end, but the order of the others is up for grabs.

Thanks again for reading and please review!


	7. Discovery

Greetings Readers! Thanks once again for reading thus far!

A special thanks to all who have reviewed and voted for what character you wanted next – you guys are awesome! Duke won this time around with four votes, so here is his POV. It takes place on the plane ride home. I am a little nervous about this one, but I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. Sigh.

* * *

I rolled the red dice in my hand, running my fingers over its hard edges, and then tossed them into the air. When they reached the highest point in the air, I nonchalantly raised my hand and caught them without looking. Putting the dice on the food tray in front of me, I leaned back into my seat and signed. Shockingly enough, I was getting tired of playing with dice – but then that was all I'd been able to do for the past couple of hours since we'd gotten on the plane and people had begun falling asleep. An eight-hour trip looks a lot shorter on a ticket than it feels in reality.

I noticed a girl looking appreciatively at me, and quickly picked up the dice again. I sent the dice spinning across the edges of the tray, although I couldn't tell myself whether I was trying to show off or to distract myself from looking back at her. Maybe it was a little of both. I snuck a glance back in her direction and noticed more about her – mostly the muscular guy sitting beside her who, given his arm on her shoulders and the fiery glances he was giving me, was probably her boyfriend. Quickly, I turned back to my dice. _Well, it's definitely 'distracting myself' now_.

People watching me probably thought that I was using my dice to flirt with every girl on the plane simultaneously, or that I was just really bored. I was a little bored, but I was also spinning the dice to help me think. Even before I developed Dungeon Dice Monsters, I had a fascination with the six-sided cubes. Anything involving dice relied on chance, which I found both unpredictable and fascinating.

So, appearances could be deceiving. I looked over to where the others were dozing and grinned as I watched Téa leaning onto Yugi's shoulder in her sleep. If anyone proved the deception of perception, it was Yugi. Even now, after everything that had happened earlier, he looked more like a harmless little kid than anything. He didn't look like he'd won the battle of the millennia, like he'd said goodbye to his closest friend, or that he was the King of Games. Awake, he didn't act much like you'd expect to act a King to act, either – he was as humble and friendly as they come. But beneath his small exterior and cheerful attitude was a mind like a steel trap; I'd seen it personally time and time again.

It irritated me when people treated him like this insignificant pipsqueak, kind of like it irritated me when people acted like I was some sort of cocky heartbreaker because of how I looked. Although it was kind of hypocritical of me to be irritated given that I'd thought the exact same thing when I first met Yugi. Moreover, I'd thought that he'd been a cheat who couldn't win a game fairly, and I'd gone all out to prove it.

I'd been an idiot. But in my defense, I was too upset to be thinking clearly at the time. Pegasus had been my idol, the guy who'd given my game the push it needed to get it started, and I looked up to him. So it had really steamed me when I heard that some nobody had come along to beat him and taken my idol's glory away. Pegasus couldn't be beat in a fair game, I thought, so this punk must have cheated. Seeing Yugi hadn't done much to dissuade me of this, although it should have – I should have paid attention to his honest cheerfulness rather than to his unassuming appearance. But I'd gone crazy in my efforts to prove him a cheater – I'd humiliated Wheeler by making him dress like a dog when he lost to me, knowing Yugi would come to his defense. Then I'd made Yugi swear on his grandfather's life never to duel again if I beat him. That condition I gave him brought me more shame than anything else I'd done – taking away dueling from Yugi would be like taking my dice away from me; it would leave us incomplete.

After all that, I couldn't believe Yugi had forgiven me. I'd discovered that he was not anything like I'd imaginaed him to be. He was friendly and forgiving, and the Pharaoh who'd also dueled Pegasus was protective and trustworthy. And in the end, they'd said we were friends – and they meant it. It surprised me more that I'd thought possible, given all the things I'd done to them. I didn't deserve the hand of friendship they'd offered me, I deserved a punch in the face.

It was then I discovered that friendship wasn't something you had to earn. People could give it freely. Of course, that didn't stop me from trying to earn it. I did what I could to earn it; I saved Serenity and Tristan from the attacking Rare Hunters. I cheered them all on in the tournaments. I'd worked with Professor Hopkins and supported Rebecca after Yugi had been taken by the Oreikalcos. I'd been there to catch the Pharaoh when he fell – literally. It never seemed like quite enough to me.

Discovering that I had been wrong about Yugi had given me a jolt. Before that, I'd felt so sure and immovable about anything I believed was true, but I then realized the foolhardiness of that. I didn't like feeling as oblivious as I did when I learned the truth about Yugi, so I was determined to open my mind up more. I would never stop trying to learn so I could understand more of what was going on with me so that I could decide what was true and what wasn't.

There were a lot more discoveries in the near future – for some reason, being around Yugi seemed to bring that on. I mean, I'd never expected to be stuck in a Virtual World and to have to duel some soulless company drone for my own body – I wouldn't have believed it possible. I volunteered to help Professor Hopkins with his research and discovered mind-boggling information about Atlantis. I'd learned that not only could two souls inhabit one mind, but that a playing card could rip one of those souls far away. I'd discovered how sacrificial true friendship could be.

Although I'd known about the Pharaoh's presence in Yugi's mind for a long time, the fact hadn't really been real to me until Yugi had been taken away. And then it was way too real – and I'd discovered the rare, soul-splitting pain of losing a friend. Luckily, we'd also discovered the pure joy of reuniting with one when Yugi returned.

Oddly enough, though, I guess I still really hadn't understood that Yugi and the Pharaoh were two separate people until the Ceremonial Duel, even after the Seal of Oreikalcos. Seeing them split into two physical bodies in front of us had given me a real shock, despite knowing that that was going to happen.

In that duel, I had a lot to discover about Yugi during the Ceremonial Duel. Several times, I doubted that he'd be able to pull it off. But every time that he fell into a place that I didn't think he could escape from, he would return with another card up his sleeve – or his deck. He'd faced down the biggest, most infamous monsters in the entire game, and had beaten them all. He showed me that the largest creatures in the entire game, and had beaten them all. He showed me that the largest creatures were not always the most powerful, and that the smallest could be the most effective. Actually, that applied to Yugi in a lot of ways.

I heard Yugi's voice and turned my head towards where he was sitting with the others. The flight attendant was leaning towards him, batting her eyelashes and flirting a lot more obviously than she had earlier in the flight. I grinned as I looked over at Téa, who was still asleep, curled up in her seat. _It's a good thing __Téa__'s not awake – she might bite that attendant's head off if she saw what she was doing._ Yugi blushed an impossible shade of red as he tried to politely respond, and I had to bite back a chuckle. Yugi certainly wasn't what you'd expect a King to be like – and that seemed to make his successes all the more admirable.

Since we'd met, I'd discovered a lot. I'd realized that all men at the top can be knocked down. I'd learned that just because a man has power and intelligence, it doesn't mean that he's infallible, or even just. I'd learned that two souls could inhabit one body. And I'd learned that friendship doesn't have to be earned, but that a true friendship should be. And I'd discovered that discoveries may not be pleasant or easy, but they make you wise. And strong.

I had a feeling I had a lot more discoveries in my future – what else could I expect when I was friends with Yugi. But what would come next? I noticed Joey's wallet hanging open over the arm of his seat, and could see the picture of his beautiful sister smiling at me. I grinned. _Maybe I could discover how to get Serenity's cell number without Joey tearing my face off. I don't see how just yet…_

_Maybe I should ask Yugi._

* * *

A/N: Okay. This, by far, was the hardest chapter for me to write. The other characters were difficult because I was trying to stay true to what I interpreted were their personalities and driving forces, but this was hard because I didn't know where to begin. Duke is not a character I am comfortable writing about as I don't have much to base my suppositions on – but I gave it a try anyway. I'm sorry for the shortness!

Thanks for reading, now please review and vote for which character you wish to see next. Constructive criticism is, as always, welcome, but purely mean comments will be banished to the Shadow Realm with no regrets. You have been warned.

Once again, thanks very much, and please review. They make me happy :)


	8. Brotherhood

Greetings Readers! Thanks for continuing to read, and here is the next chapter!

Again, a special thanks to all those who have favorited, reviewed, and voted for the character they'd most like to see next. You guys are great! This time, the majority spoke for Mokuba, who won narrowly over Grandpa. So here is Mokuba's POV, which happens during the lunch at Ishizu's after the Ceremonial Duel. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. Again.

* * *

"No, Mokuba."

I looked up at my big brother as he scraped the lost bits of the meal Ishizu had cooked for us off of his plate and forked them into his mouth. "But Seto…"

"There is no way, Mokuba. I need to get back to running Kaiba Corp; I don't have any more time to waste. We've wasted enough time as it is staying here for lunch – which I only did for you in the first place."

"Please?"

"No. And don't try that pouting face stuff to make me change my mind, it won't work."

I frowned lightly and folded my arms in front of my chest. "It's worked before."

Seto looked down at me, his blue eyes not wavering. "Well, all things must come to an end."

I grinned. "Don't you mean, all good things must come to an end?"

"Not in this case." He pushed his plate back and pointedly looked at my half-full plate. "Finish up. We need to get going."

Sighing, I picked up my fork. "Okay, Seto. It'll be good to get back, anyway." I watched him relax ever so slightly at his victory and inwardly grinned as I continued to eat. When I had asked my big brother to let us fly home with Yugi and the others, I hadn't expected him to give in – especially since he'd just caved and let us stay at Ishizu's for lunch. I only asked so that he could say no and then not feel like a total push-over, which he hates more than anything. In the scoreboard of his mind, we were now at a tie for the afternoon, and that was better than losing. Although I wouldn't have minded if he had said that I could go with the others…

Stuffing another forkful into my mouth, I looked over at Yugi and my inner grin wilted. He looked very quiet, almost sad – a big difference from the always cheerful, friendly guy who treated me like a friend rather than the brother of his archrival. Then again, he also treated his archrival more like a friend rather than an archrival – that was the kind of person that he was. That was probably why it hurt so much to see him like this. He was trying to hide my sadness, but it wasn't fooling me or his other friends. He'd suffered a kind of loss that was hard for them to understand –

A mutter so low I could barely hear it came from right above my ear. I tilted my head up to see my brother looking at Yugi too, looking as puzzles as he would ever allow himself to appear. "I don't get it," he mumbled, not realizing I could hear him, "He's just won it all…so why does he look like he's lost?"

I looked back down at my plate, shaking my head. He just didn't understand either. For a teenage genius who was a technological expert and a famous businessman, Seto sure could be stupid sometimes. He wasn't letting himself see it at all – sure, Yugi had won a lot, but consider what he'd lost…

People act like my big brother's a bad guy, but he's not really at heart. You could call it prejudice since we're brothers, but since I'm his brother I see more than anyone else. He's stubborn, yes. Proud, yes, and I know that he can be a complete jerk – but he's still my brother and I love him. Big Brother is really smart, and he was able to turn our lives around for us when we were little. He's not as uncaring as he seems – after we'd lost our parents Seto had taken their place for me, becoming my father and mother without being concerned that he needed that kind of support, too. He's always looked out for me; protecting me from the bullies at the orphanage, winning us both a home in a chess game against Gozaburo, saving me from Pegasus. There were times when I really missed the more fun, carefree Seto from when we were little, but I still love him. Those who found us heartless just couldn't see past the mask he'd built up for himself after Gozaburo adopted us. I could see past it, but for all the good I could see in him I knew that he could be totally oblivious about some things, especially where Yugi was concerned.

Yugi Mutou – the King of Games, my brother's ultimate opponent, and also a genuinely nice guy who I considered my friend and liked being around. It sometimes really bothered me that Seto had a kind of vendetta against Yugi – so Yugi had beaten him in a duel, it's not like he was ever mean or cocky about it. In fact, he'd always been humble and respectful towards everyone, even me – most people treated me like some dumb little kid, but he never made me feel small…although maybe that was because he was just about as short as I was, ha. Okay, so that reason wasn't probably right…but I had nothing against him. Still, I idolized my brother so I was willing to help him be happy, even if that meant chasing down Yugi time and time again for duels that Seto would often lose. And through all of that, Yugi continued to be friendly with both of us, extending a hand of friendship to the both of us, although my brother tended to sneer at it. That never made sense to me, because through his mask of indifference I could sense that he would like to be friends with them even if he couldn't sense it himself.

Although that may be just wishful thinking.

I just couldn't see Yugi as a rival like Seto did; not only was he a really nice, fun person, but he had also saved both our skins on several occasions. Yugi had dueled Pegasus not only to save his grandfather, but to rescue mine and Seto's souls as well. He didn't even know me that well when he'd done that, and the way Seto had treated him before that sure wouldn't encourage most people to save us. When I heard about what Seto had done to defeat Yugi at Duelist Kingdom, I was torn – I couldn't tell if I was more touched that my brother had put his life on the line or ashamed that he'd made Yugi make that decision. In any case, we didn't deserve Yugi saving us, but he did anyway. He'd also helped me when I'd been kidnapped in the Virtual World the Big 5 had used against us, and fought against Gozaburo in a fight that really concerned me and Seto in the first place. Yugi had this weird inclination to sacrifice his own safety to help others, no matter who they were; it confused me but impressed me at the same time.

But then, there was a lot about Yugi that was difficult to understand. His adventures also seemed to involve supernatural forces or ancient magics, which could be hard to get the hang of. It made it even harder for me considering that Seto consistently and adamantly ignored any hint of magical stuff that happened with us. But how could he ignore the weird Shadow Duel that took place on the blimp during Battle City? Or all those weird visions he started having after Ishizu invited him to the exhibit on Ancient Egypt at the museum? Or the fact that we became trading cards? The Pharaoh had told us on the helicopter ride to save Joey from Marik that he wasn't Yugi, but my brother ignored it. When they'd called us from California after the Seal of Oreikalcos had captured Yugi's soul, Seto was so busy being ticked that Yugi lost to someone besides him that he didn't get the real message. I did – not only that, but even through the videophone screen I could see the devastation in the Pharaoh's eyes, a look somewhat similar to the look in Yugi's eyes now. All that stuff was a lot to take in, and it wasn't like any of it made sense to me – but I would let myself believe it even though I didn't quite understand it.

Seto wouldn't let himself believe though, and, although it drove me crazy sometimes, I understood why. We hadn't had it easy as kids, but my brother had had it worse. I'd had someone to shelter me, but he didn't. He never had a parent to take care of him, even after Gozaburo took us from the orphanage he'd treated Seto more like a slave than a son. Seto learned that he didn't want to trust anyone besides me, and he came to think that opening himself up was being weak. That believing in something without physical proof was foolish. Before and after we were adopted, he'd taken it upon himself to be my father – and he had been a good father figure. Despite the way he acted towards others, there were times when I could see compassion in his eyes and that was enough for me. He'd risked a lot from me, and I would do the same for him – our brotherly ties were strong enough, and he knew that.

I scraped the last bit of food into my mouth and looked up at him. He knew our bond was that strong…that was why I couldn't get over how oblivious he was being about Yugi's sadness. He just couldn't see what Yugi had lost. We'd all lost a friend, Seto had lost his most challenging opponent, but Yugi had lost his brother. Not his brother by blood, but by another kind of bond that was equally strong. That bond had given Yugi the strength he needed to duel on and win in the Ceremonial Duel, even though he knew what that victory would mean. He knew that he had to do the best thing for his brother by sending him to a final resting place, no matter how difficult it was for him. Making his brother happy and doing what was best for him was hard because it meant saying goodbye forever, but it had to be done.

Seto and I got up to go, and the others came over to say goodbye. As I shook Yugi's hand, our eyes met and a silent understanding went between us. I understood what he'd lost, Yugi knew I understood, and I could tell that he was grateful for it. I impulsively hugged him and I could feel his silent thank you as he hugged me back. He walked off to the side, and I watched Seto follow him. I heard him challenging Yugi to another duel and rolled my eyes. Big Brother still didn't get it, but sooner or later he'd understand. I was sure of it.

Yugi caught my eye again and smiled as we waved goodbye. I waved until I couldn't see him anymore, and then I sat back and closed my eyes. I hoped that Yugi realized that his brother hadn't really left – not completely, anyway. The ties of brotherhood could and would remain after a brother was physically gone; I'd experienced that myself with Seto. Yugi was smart, so he probably realized that his bond with the Pharaoh couldn't be broken by time or distance or separation.

And as long as he remembered that, that bond would always keep him strong.

* * *

A/N: And there's Mokuba's POV. I felt that Mokuba's strong ties to his brother would make it easier for him to see the brotherhood between Yugi and Yami – which is how I see their relationship.

Anyway, thanks for reading and now please review! I would like to hear what you think. Also, please feel free to vote for which character you wish to see next; the options are Ishizu, Odion, and Grandpa. Yugi and Yami are coming last, but the order of the others is open.

Thanks again and please review!


	9. Confidence

Greetings Readers! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

As always, a very grateful thanks to all those who have commented, favorited, and voted. I really appreciate it! Grandpa came out ahead this time, so this perspective is his. It takes place at the Game Shop about a month after the Ceremonial Duel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. But I live in hope.

* * *

The bell above the game shop door jangled, and I looked up from the counter to see two small boys leaving the store. They grinned and waved merrily at me and I waved back, smiling. They walked out the door and I looked up at the clock hanging above them. Five minutes before closing time – and the room was still fairly packed. Reluctantly, I got up to start shooing kids out the door – I loved having young people about, which was probably a big reason for opening the game shop, but it was getting close to dinner time and Yugi was probably starving.

_Speaking of which, _I looked up curiously, _where is Yugi? He should be helping me clear everybody out._ My eyes swung over the faces of the kids and teenagers laughing and joking as they slowly began to squeeze out of the shop door, but I couldn't see my grandson anywhere. Scratching the top of my head, I turned back towards the counter and saw him – and bit back a chuckle. _No wonder he wasn't helping me, he's got his own problems._

Yugi was standing behind the counter, looking up into the face of a slightly irate middle-aged woman whom we both knew far too well. Yugi looked around her and shot me a plea for help with his eyes, but I shook my head and turned to shut the door to the shop. I could hear him sigh under his breath, although the customer didn't catch it, and then he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hikisu, but I really can't give you a refund."

"What do you mean, you can't?" She brandished a pack of Duel Monster cards at him. "The package has been ripped!"

His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "But I sold those to you not twenty minutes ago, and they were fine then."

"Of course they were fine then," Mrs. Hikisu countered, her voice becoming increasingly irritated, "but when I walked out into the street I fell, and the cards fell to the ground and split open."

Yugi straightened up and met her fierce gaze with an equally firm one of his own. "Then there is no reason for a refund, Mrs. Hikisu, as the cards were not damaged by us."

"I should have known that you wouldn't own up to this!" Mrs. Hikisu nearly shrieked, "People these days refuse to take responsibility. No wonder the world's in the state it's in…"

Yugi's eyes didn't falter as he began to reason with the stubborn woman. I took a dust rag and began rubbing off some of the display cases. A few had the fingerprints of some of my younger customers smeared across the glass, but most of them were spotless from the last time I'd cleaned them; I just needed to look busy so Mrs. Hikisu wouldn't drag me into the discussion. I'd been in more of them than I'd wanted to count.

She had the unfortunate distinction of being the most finicky customer I'd ever had. Most of the time she visited, she had one or more complaints to throw at the unfortunate one dealing with her. We could never understand why she kept coming back if she found our service so terrible. As for us, we were still accommodating to her for two reasons; one, we could always use the money, and two, we all really liked her son whom she brought the games for. Her son was polite and respectful, which I figured probably came from his father, as his mother had previously sent two of the high school students I hired into hysterics with her yelling.

_And Yugi used to be terrified by her._ I mused, and then looked at my grandson and grinned. _But not anymore._

Yugi was looking up at a considerably calmer woman, and he continued. "So you see, ma'am, I can't give you a refund, but I hope this will help."

For once, the woman looked unsure of herself. "Well…"

I walked over to the game shop door and pointedly flipped the sign on the door to 'Closed' with a loud clap. Mrs. Hikisu looked around, startled, and Yugi grinned gratefully at me before subduing his smile into a more sober one. He beckoned Mrs. Hikisu down towards him and whispered something conspiratorially in her ear. Her face lit up and she actually smiled back. "Excellent. I will tell Yori to expect you. Good day." She picked up the pack of cards and walked briskly out the door.

I quickly locked it behind her, and Yugi leaned against the counter, wiping his forehead with his arm. "Phew! What a day!"

"I'll say. But the first Saturday of the school year is always busy, Yugi, you know that." I smiled at him, "You really didn't need to stay the whole day – you should have been able to spend time with your friends."

"They understand, Grandpa; they know how busy it gets this time of the year. Besides, I couldn't leave you with all this," he gestured to the slightly disheveled shelves and display boxes, "by yourself. But you could've helped me with Mrs. Hikisu…"

"I was busy."

He grinned at me, crossing his arms. "Sure you were, Grandpa. That was why you were polishing that one case for five straight minutes."

I held up my hands. "Okay, guilty. But you did fine on your own – what did you say to her? I've never seen her calm down so fast."

Yugi opened the register and began checking the money inside it. "Well, I couldn't give her the refund, so I offered her something else; I promised to help her son Yori put together a strong deck for the tournament they're having at his school next week."

"That's nice of you. But what was that you whispered?"

"Oh." He looked up at me. "Well, she wasn't quite sure if that was enough so I just reminded her that, as the King of Games, I knew how to assemble a good deck."

I laughed and slapped my knees, and Yugi turned bright red and seemed to be fighting not to duck behind the counter. "Using your title to influence people, my boy? Be careful, you know what they say about power corrupting!"

"Grandpa!" he said indignantly, "It was just this one time – and it worked, didn't it?"

I was still chuckling. "Yes, yes, my boy. I was just teasing you. I'm sorry to have you do that for me, though."

"It's fine." His good humor returned to his face as he grinned, "Besides, I was planning to help Yori out anyway – he's been really nervous because it's his first tournament. Just don't let his mom know that. She thought she really outsmarted me this time."

"Excellent strategy, King of Games."

The blush returned to his face with a vengeance. "Grandpa!"

"Calm down, Yugi!" I laughed, "We're too tired to fight about it – and I'm too hungry. How about dinner?"

"Sound good to me. Do you want me to cook?"

"No, that's fine. I thought we'd just order pizza tonight."

His stomach growled appreciatively, and he chuckled. "Good idea. I'll go ahead and call the order in. The usual?"

"Of course." I turned and sat on a stool near the counter. "Go on up, Yugi. This old man needs to rest his bones a minute before cleaning up."

"Sure you don't want some help, Grandpa?"

"No." I waved my hand at him. "Hurry up, I'm starving."

"Okay, okay." He sprinted up the stairs that led from the game shop to the house. "Call if you need some help!"

I closed my eyes and listened to his footsteps disappearing up the stairs. There was a smile on my face as I looked around the game shop I had run for so long. I had heard it whispered at archaeological conventions that some of my colleagues could not understand why a man like me, who had led so many challenging and successful digs, could resign himself to running a quiet game shop. Those clearly were men who had never met me – the colleagues who I considered my friends understood perfectly. Those that knew me knew of my love for games, and so it made perfect sense that I would open up a shop devoted to them. In a way most people wouldn't understand, I was just as proud of my shop as I was of all the expeditions I'd been part of all those years ago. Yugi was one of the few people who understood that – but then, he shared my love of games as well.

_Yugi_. I stepped off the stool and, picking up a broom that leaned against the wall behind the register, began to sweep. It was a mindless, automatic chore, and my mind wandered to the grandson whom I was ever prouder of than I was of my expeditions or my shop. My grandson had certainly done a lot these past few years – and he'd changed so much.

It was sometimes hard to pair the confident Yugi of these days with the timid Yugi of three years ago. That Yugi would have been withering under Mrs. Hikisu's complaints rather than standing up to her. He was as cheerful then as he was now, just as kind-hearted, and just as optimistic – and very, very lonely. It had pained me to see him make his lonely way to the shop after school every day and shut himself within the house. Many of those days he came home with a bruise or a limp, courtesy of the bullies at his school who seemed to sense him like a shark sensing blood in the water before going on the attack. Even then he was strong enough to keep silent about his tormenters; I'd just wished that he'd been strong enough to have the confidence to stand up to them.

_Although_, I grinned to myself as I swept the dirt into the dustpan, _it was probably for the best that he didn't – if he'd told me about Joey, I wouldn't have let him in that day. _It had taken me completely by surprise to see the young blond man at my front door, especially since he had been sopping wet. If I'd known what he'd been doing to my grandson, I wouldn't have let him near this place – and then the two of them wouldn't have become friends. And without the piece Joey had brought, Yugi wouldn't have been able to finish the Puzzle…

It had not taken long after Yugi had completed the Puzzle before he began acting more confident. Even before he'd realized the presence of the Pharaoh within the Puzzle and in his mind, he'd been stronger. He'd stood up to Kaiba after he'd beaten me for the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and he had the presence of mind to prevail against the three Blue Eyes that Kaiba had used. Yugi had done so much at a young age, and I was so proud of him. Of course, the Pharaoh had been there to help for which I was very grateful – his presence had made Yugi more confident and strong.

And in a way, Yugi had also given the Pharaoh confidence, although it had taken him awhile for his friends to see it. After their adventure in California, Yugi and his friends had all told me, with great surprise, about the devastation the Pharaoh had experienced after the Seal of Oreikalcos took Yugi away. I hadn't been surprised. I had realized how important Yugi was to the spirit during the Shadow Game with Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom, when I'd been able to talk with the spirit within Yugi's mind. The Pharaoh had been surprised and confused when he'd seen me, but I knew exactly who he was; I'd come face-to-face with him when he'd saved me on my expedition into his pyramid where I found the Puzzle.

In the Shadow Duel, I'd seen firsthand how devastated the Pharaoh had been when Yugi had collapsed in the fight and wouldn't wake. He frantically shook my grandson, begging him to wake up, looking horrified when he thought Yugi was gone for good. Oddly enough, the fact that he was so affected by Yugi's apparent loss made me even more confident that he would save us. He actually cared about Yugi's fate – he didn't just want to win for the sake of winning. The Pharaoh had a real reason to win – he had to in order to rescue Yugi. And he did.

Together, they'd been strong enough to do miraculous things. They'd saved me and the Kaiba brothers. They'd rescued Marik and the world from his evil half. They'd kept Dartz from unleashing Leviathan upon mankind. And they'd made each other strong enough to do great things on their own. The Pharaoh had been able to permanently defeat the evil spirit Zorc using only his name. Yugi had been able to bring Joey out of Marik's mind control. He'd been able to save Tristan from Bakura's possession.

And he'd been strong enough to defeat the Pharaoh in the Ceremonial Duel and to let him leave.

The doorbell rang, and Yugi called down to me. "The pizza's here, Grandpa, want me to get it?"

"Sure," I called back up, "let this old man rest – it's been a hard day."

He stuck his head downstairs and rolled his eyes playfully at me. "Grandpa, please. You're still strong enough to wrestle Joey or Tristan into the ground, so don't play the 'old man' card. Be right back."

I shook my head and grinned. _That boy knows me too well._

Going into the kitchen, I saw that Yugi had already set the table and poured out the soda we'd be drinking. I sat down and waited for Yugi to come in with the pizza. It took a surprisingly long time.

"What took so long?" I questioned as he finally hurried in, "Could you not wait any longer and decided to start without me?"

"No." He was balancing the pizza boxes in one hand and looked a little ill at ease.

"Well then, what was it?"

"Well…" His free hand reached up to the back of his neck and he began rubbing it embarrassedly, "the guy delivering the pizza knew who I was…and apparently he's a big fan of dueling."

A big grin spread over my mouth as comprehension dawned. "He asked you for your autograph, didn't he?"

He hid his face as he put the pizzas on the table. "Yes."

"So, was that his tip?" I asked.

"No, Grandpa!"

I shrugged. "I'm just saying, start paying people in autographs, and our food bill would get a lot cheaper."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." He sat down and opened one of the boxes, slipping a slice onto his plate.

"Just be glad that it wasn't a girl. Remember that last time we ordered Chinese?"

Yugi flushed a deep red at the memory; the delivery girl had been one of his more ardent admirers and had fallen to her knees, hugging his legs. It had taken five minutes for him to gather the peace of mind to call me and at least five more for me to pry her off of his legs. He was so modest that that kind of attention scared him more than a Shadow Duel ever could.

I watched him determinedly dig into the pizza and inwardly smiled. A lot about Yugi hadn't changed since he'd solved the Puzzle; he was still as painfully modest and humble as he'd ever been. He was still very compassionate and would go a great deal out of his way to help others. He was even willing to lay down his own safety in the process – something he'd now done on several occasions.

He'd always had those qualities – but the confidence he'd gained when completing the Puzzle brought it into better focus. And he'd used those qualities time and time again when he went into dangerous situations to save mankind. He'd been a leader and supporter of his friends in their darkest hours – and he'd made them feel strong when all felt lost. The one who'd never been confident had grown so strong that he could pass his confidence on to others.

I didn't tease him anymore about the autograph, and we finished the meal in a companionable silence. As the silence grew, Yugi seemed to grow more solemn, although I didn't realize it until we were both washing dishes at the sink. Yugi had finished rubbing his hands dry on a towel when he turned to look out the window. Subconsciously his hand reached up to where the Puzzle used to hang around his neck, and when he closed his fist on nothing but air, he looked down at his clenched hand and sighed.

"Yugi?"

He jumped a little and looked at me. "Yes, Grandpa?"

"You're reaching for the Puzzle."

He looked down. "Yeah. It's hard to remember it's not there. It's hard to remember that he's gone."

The hidden pain in his voice hurt me as he looked back outside. As much as he'd tried to hide it, I knew he grieved the loss of his friend deeply. I placed my hand on his shoulder, not caring that it was covered with soapy water. "It was just a puzzle, Yugi."

"What?" He looked at me, his eyes shocked.

"I mean, the puzzle is just a puzzle now. Now that you've set the Pharaoh free, it's just a lump of pretty metal. But he left something more valuable behind in its place – the courage and confidence he passed on to you. As long as you remember the Pharaoh, his gifts will always be with you – and they are worth far more than any treasure found in some tomb."

Yugi smiled gratefully at me, but then it faded into an expression of guilt. "I'm sorry, Grandpa, I didn't realize. You went to all that trouble to get that Puzzle in the first place, but now it's gone forever. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "My boy, if there's anything I've learned in my years of archaeology, it's that there are always more tombs to excavate, more treasures to uncover. And many more adventures to embark on – which I'm sure you will."

He laughed. "Well, sure, Gramps. Who'd want to go back to normal life after all this?"

"Exactly. You're a chip off the old block – we'll always have another adventure waiting for us to begin."

He dried off the last plate and put it away. "Well, right now I have the adventure of calculus homework waiting for me. I probably should get started on it."

I shuddered. "A very perilous adventure – I wish you luck."

"Thanks, Grandpa." He began up the stairs. "See you in a bit – I hope."

I sat down at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and sent a silent thank you to wherever the Pharaoh was in the Afterlife. Everything he'd done for Yugi, everything they'd gone through together had given my grandson the confidence he'd needed for so long. It was the confidence he'd shown in their final duel, the confidence that made him strong when they said goodbye. And this confidence would give him the strength he would need in his future adventures ahead. Yugi was strong enough to face anything.

I was sure of it.

* * *

A/N: Well, that turned out to be a lot longer than I had intended. I hope you enjoyed it!

I thought I would be clever by naming the difficult customer 'Mrs. Hikisu' because that – apparently – means 'argument' in Japanese. That's about as much Japanese as you'll see in any of my stories.

We're drawing near the end now. Yugi and Yami have the last two chapters, respectively, but you can still vote on whether you want to read Odion or Ishizu next. Please do!

Thanks for reading and please review! They make me happy


	10. Duty

Greetings Readers! I realize that this is a quick update, but I hope that you don't mind!

Thanks again to all those who have read, favorited, commented, and voted on my story – it makes me happy to know that people have been enjoying this! Ishizu won this vote by a long shot, so this is her perspective. It takes place at the airport soon after Yugi and the gang has flown home.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters.

* * *

_Our duty as the Pharaoh's tomb keepers is now complete._

The words rang inside my head as I looked out of the terminal window. The airplane bound for Japan slowly made its way down the runway and then took off into the clear sunny sky. I watched its flight until the plane was no longer visible, and then leaned against the window, my eyes closing in thought as my forehead met with the hot glass. _At last, we are free of our duty._

My brother, Odion, and I had no more reason to remain at the Cairo airport, but I think the two could see that I was weary after the ordeal of the day and they told me to sit down at one of the tables near the terminal restaurants. Odion brought me a cup of coffee before Marik dragged him off to look at all the airplanes in their hangars. His childlike eagerness made me smile – it reminded me of his fascination with the outside world when we were children. Even after all those years that he'd spent beyond the Pharaoh's tomb, there was still an aura of awe and wonder about him. I absentmindedly sipped some of my coffee and shuddered slightly. I'd been able to adjust quite quickly to the customs of the modern age, but I could never reconcile myself to enjoy the sludge of fast-food coffee.

_But I'd better learn. I no longer need to balance my life between the tomb and the outside world – all of my life is now in the outside world. _I gave a sigh of relief as I stared into the coffee's dark depths; our duty was at last fulfilled. I'd said that it was complete when Yugi had won the Ceremonial Duel and the Pharaoh was free of the Puzzle. I'd said it was complete as we watched the sand settle around the tomb as it collapsed into ruins. But it didn't feel complete until just now, when Yugi and his friends had finally safely left for their home. I could feel the gentle smile creasing my lips as I thought of them. They were so young to have taken on so much, and I hoped we would stay in touch.

Especially Yugi. The young man piqued my interest considerably; there was much about him that I didn't understand. All those years of studying scriptures and ancient texts made me more able to understand what was going on than most of his friends. But these ancient words and facts did not quite prepare for seeing the Pharaoh in the flesh – even if it was Yugi's flesh – and I was utterly fascinated. And Yugi was a very interesting young man in his own right. He was able to shoulder an incredible ancient burden without flinching. He'd faced terrible trials and remained strong. He even looked a great deal like the Pharaoh when he was younger if the carvings adorning the tomb were any indication. All of these things made me even more certain that destiny had a large role in delivering the Millennium Puzzle into Yugi's hands. Destiny had played a major part in all of our lives – I had seen too much of it at work to not believe in it. And it seemed that fate had dictated that Yugi bear the duty of being the vessel of the Pharaoh. A duty that had now come to an end with ours.

I let out another deep breath as I stirred my coffee. It was such a relief that out duty was at last over. I smiled to myself. It would probably have surprised Marik to know that I was just as happy to be done with our duty as tomb keepers as he was. An enormous weight that I had never realized was there had been lifted from my shoulders and it felt so wonderfully free and light. We could now go on with our lives free of the shadows of our ancestors, and determine our own destinies, our own paths. I had never dreaded my job as my brother had, and so I never fought against it as much as he had. My sense of duty towards the past and the legacy of our ancestors was more important and stronger than any of the desires that would compel me to leave. I was content with our life beneath the ground, except when it caused Marik so much pain that he finally lashed out.

Remembering how Marik's evil side had overwhelmed him and killed our father after sending me flying into the wall still brought a pang to my heart. But, I thought as I took another sip of coffee, I still could not find any anger within my heart, only regret that he had suffered so much. I closed my eyes. Not until we had both grown older had I realized how lucky I had been to have been a girl. There were things that Marik had to undergo as the tomb keeper's son that I couldn't even fathom – his yells as the hieroglyphs had been carved into his back still occasionally resounded within my ears and made me want to weep. At times, I wondered if all this could have been avoided if our father had allowed Odion to take Marik's place – or if I had been born a boy. Unlike me or Odion, Marik had somehow been born with an insatiable curiosity that could not be contained within the tomb walls without the relief of fresh air or the light of the sun. So I could understand why he would feel so frustrated as to break away from all of our family's traditions – but it still hurt to know of all the suffering he had caused.

He had not been himself when he had killed our father, but he had caused so much harm without the influence of his evil half. My brother had been so ravaged by pain and hate that he soon began to act as though he didn't care who he hurt. But while I despised his actions, I still loved my brother and knew that the sweet little boy I used to comfort was still within him somewhere. And I was determined to bring him back.

I learned not only that I bore the duty of my family, but a duty to my family. One that I would not fail for my brother's sake.

It was that duty born of love that brought me out of the place that I had sworn to remain until the Pharaoh was in the Afterlife. It was difficult for me to leave – not because of my promise but because of fear. I was nervous about leaving the dark familiarity of the tomb for the glaring strangeness of the world above. Unlike Marik, I had no true desire to leave the tomb and could have remained content in the shadows until the end of my days. But my love overpowered my fear and so I could leave the home I'd always known to bring my brother back.

It was my duty to him that helped me adjust to the modern culture. It had given me the strength to duel for him. It had caused me to lure both the Pharaoh and the High Priest to the museum so that they could learn about the ancient past. I had been able to convince Seto Kaiba to hold a tournament that I knew would bring my brother and his Rare Hunters running. I had embraced the world I almost feared so I could bring my brother back to me, so that I could try and save him from the darkness consuming him from within. I knew my face never showed it, but there times when my heart cowered in fear and pleaded with me to return home where I felt safe and at ease, but I could not abandon my brother. I could not ignore my duty – and in the end, Odion had been able to bring our brother back to his true self.

It had been painful, heartbreaking – but in the end it had all been worth it. My duty to my brother had been fulfilled and all that was left for us to do was to see the duty of our family through to completion. When the Pharaoh discovered his name, the key to unlocking the door to the Afterlife, I felt such joy that I had only experienced once before when Marik returned home. I maintained my composure – someone needed to be calm throughout the entire ordeal – as I explained how the Ceremonial Duel, but I could hardly breathe for the elation. We were closer to releasing the Pharaoh than any of those who had come before us, and I was so happy for the Pharaoh and for ourselves.

I was not shocked as some of the others when Yugi announced that he would be dueling the Pharaoh – it made perfect sense that such an admirable young man would take on such a responsibility for his friend. I admired both of them so much, and I could understand them. I could sense that both of them had a strong devotion to duty that I shared. The Pharaoh had had a self-appointed duty to protect Yugi that he would not allow him to fail in. It was a duty born of the same brotherly love that I had for Marik and Odion rather than of necessity. Yugi had given himself the duty to help the Pharaoh regain his memories so that he could be at peace. And then he took on an unimaginable duty – he had to defeat his closest friend and say goodbye to him forever so that the Pharaoh could return to where he truly belonged. It was still difficult for his friends to understand how Yugi could prevail and stay strong, I sensed, but I was sure they would understand one day.

But it was difficult for Yugi, too. Following one's duty was not often easy, a fact I knew from personal experience. Yugi had clearly suffered at the end, but he had not allowed the suffering to keep him from fulfilling his duty and promise to the Pharaoh. He would only find true peace in completing his duty, as we now had.

I heard the footsteps of my brothers approaching and turned to greet them. They were both smiling, but I noticed that Marik's smile did not quite meet his eyes. I was about to ask what was troubling him when he asked if he could go for a walk alone before returning to the apartment we had rented. I could feel myself nodding, but could not keep myself from reaching out to him pleadingly as he turned away. Odion gently caught my wrist to stop me, and I looked up into his face.

"Odion, what is troubling Marik? Why do I sense he is not at peace?"

He looked back down at me. "I don't know." He released my wrist and wrapped one arm around my shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. "But I think that he is going to find it– but he needs to do so on his own."

"Will he find it soon, do you think? We are finally free."

"Do not fear, Ishizu." He smiled down at me. "I think that he will."

I leaned back into his embrace and gripped one of his arms gratefully. Odion had been a rock for both myself and Marik throughout everything. And he'd suffered a great deal for both of us. My eyes skimmed over the self-inflicted hieroglyphics tattooed upon his cheek, another sign of his love and loyalty to our brother, and met his eyes. There was a look in them so assuring, so compassionate, that I couldn't do anything but believe him. I smiled up at him as we began to walk towards the doors to the outside. He was right; Marik would soon find his peace now that our duty was complete. I just prayed he would discover it quickly.

I shielded my eyes against the bright sunlight as we walked into Cairo's busy streets. We walked to our apartment in a comfortable silence, and my mind wandered as I thought of what had truly happened that morning. Our duty was done – it had taken an effort for me to follow its course to the end. But now it was complete and a whole new aspect of life had opened up for all of us. We had followed a set destiny for so long – now, we could forge our destinies and follow our chosen fates.

I could only pray that we would have the strength to go wherever it led us.

* * *

A/N: And there is Ishizu's perspective. Some people have been asking for her for a long time, and I hope they're not disappointed! I have always thought that Ishizu would be just as grateful as Marik that their duty is done – she just hides it more. I also hope I didn't offend anyone with my mocking of fast-food coffee. I just couldn't resist taking a dig at it…haha.

It's scary (for me, anyway), but we're coming near the end! Only three more to go; Odion, Yugi, and Yami.

Thanks so much for reading! I know there's no need to vote anymore, but please review! They make me happy!


	11. Loyalty

Greetings Readers! Thanks for continuing to read this, and I hope you enjoy this update! This is also obnoxiously early, but oh well. I'll explain why at the bottom.

Thanks again to those who have favorited and commented on my story! They continue to inspire me! At last, for those who have been voting for him, it is now Odion's turn. This perspective takes place a few weeks after the Duel at the Ishtars' apartment. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters! Again.

* * *

I don't know what woke me – as I opened my eyes and rolled over to my side in the darkness of my bedroom, I could hear nothing besides the gentle breathing of Ishizu and the ragged snores of Marik from their rooms down the hall. Groaning at the earliness of the morning, I closed my eyes to try to get back to sleep. After a few minutes, I figured it was in vain and swung my feet out of my bed. My feet hit the floor and I grimaced slightly at the coldness as I reached out to grab the thin robe hanging by the bed. Pulling it over my shoulders, I padded silently out of my room and down the hall to the small balcony of the apartment we had rented. I reached for the handle of the door and turned it slowly so as to make as little noise as possible and listened carefully before I walked through. No one else seemed to be awake, and I smiled as I stepped into the coolness of the Cairo evening, closing the door behind me.

I leaned over the balcony and looked up into the dark velvet sky at the stars shining brightly even through the haze of the city lights. It occurred to me, not for the first time, that this evening must have been like the one when my mother found me in the desert. Maybe that was why I found the evening so soothing – it reminded me of her. Not that I could actually remember that night, but Mother had told me enough about it as a child that I felt like I could. I closed my eyes and remembered the feel of her arms around me as she held me and told me I was loved, wanted – a much-needed salve for my wounds after her husband continuously rebuked me. I allowed a thin film of tears to seep beneath my eyelids as I thought of her, a strange mixture of happy memories and grief filling me as it always did when I remembered her.

She always was my mother, even though she hadn't given birth to me. She gave me life, though, and enough love to be two mothers. I know she worked hard to make me feel loved in spite of my stepfather's actions, and in a way, she succeeded. But I still always hungered for his support – for him to look on me with approval rather than disgust, to see me as a son rather than a slave. I yearned to be his successor, not so much as to be considered a tomb keeper but to be considered his son. But at the same time, I knew that would never come to pass. Even before the arrival of a legitimate heir, I knew that I would never be given that chance.

I had given unstated loyalty to my stepfather in a sort of gratitude for his grudging allowing of my presence. But the day that Marik was born, I realized I had a more important loyalty to maintain, the loyalty to my mother – and in connection, to Marik.

I closed my eyes, in pain this time, as I thought of the night my mother had died and of the promise she'd begged of me on her deathbed. Her husband had taken his desired heir from her to fulfill some ritual, and left her to die with only me and Ishizu in attendance. I'd gripped her hand, wishing that I could transfer some of my heat, some of my life, into her hand that was already growing disturbingly cold. Even in her last moments of life, she thought of others before herself, and she made me promise to watch out for Marik. My heart was breaking at the finality of her words, but I agreed to her request through my tears; I couldn't refuse her, since I owed her everything. I would be loyal to her wishes no matter what.

It was painful at first; every time I saw Marik moving around and so very alive, it reminded me of our loss. Once his father learned of my promise to his mother, I became more of a servant than I had ever been before. I was able to bear the servitude within reason, fortified by my loyalty, but the day that Marik was bit by a snake was the breaking point. No matter how hard I tried to protect him at all times, it was inevitable that he would eventually come to harm – and I was too late to save him from being injured. If my guilt for failing my mother was not painful enough, my stepfather felt the need to punish me brutally. Under the combined emotional anguish and physical pain, my mind snapped and I found myself creeping into his room as he slept, intent on causing him harm. The memory of how the anger boiled within me as I looked at him sleeping made me choke in shame. At that moment in my mind, he was the cause of everything; if he hadn't been born, my mother would still be alive. If she was alive, she would have stood between me and my stepfather's wrath. If she was here, I would have someone who cared about me. But as it was, I was alone, bruised, and unloved – and it was all his fault. But then Marik said the one word that changed everything.

He called me brother.

In that word, I realized something that I had been too blind to see before – I still had a family; Marik was my brother as much as his mother was mine. We were not brothers by flesh, but we were tied by our mother's love and my promise. I knew in that word that my loyalty was not bound only to my mother, but to my brother, Marik. And after that, I looked out for him like a true brother. I felt his pain as he grew up under the dictations of his tyrannical father, and I worked to spare him what pain that I could. That was why, when Marik was pressured to undergo the ritual that made him the tomb keeper, I offered to take his place. Not out of desire this time, but out of brotherly loyalty to rescue him. When I couldn't spare him the pain, I took it upon myself to empathize with him by carving a similar mark upon my face. I knew that it wasn't enough, but it was a way of showing my solidarity with him, one I hope brought him at least some relief.

Perhaps that was why I was so willing to cover for them when Ishizu took Marik to the outside world – I wanted to bring him more relief. But everything fell apart that day – the two came home to see me being beaten for allowing them to leave, and then Marik lost control. By the time I regained consciousness, it was too late – Marik's evil side had killed his father. Somehow, my presence was able to break him out of it as it had previously sent him into his rage. No longer was there a malevolent being glaring down at me, but a broken little boy who was staring in shock and horror at his own father's dead body. My heart broke at the pain in his face, but all I could do was hold him in my bound arms and try to comfort him.

I fear that my lie about the Pharaoh's loyalist killing his father was the fact that stoked his resentment into a flame of hatred, but I could not bear to tell him the truth. I could not bear to see any more guilt in his confused eyes. Besides, I knew that it wasn't the Marik that I was comforting who had killed my stepfather, but another side to him that had once been dormant. And somehow I knew that I was the only one who could keep that evil half sealed away – and so I would stay by his side to prevent it from resurfacing. I had to.

Given all that Marik had put me through once he had left the tomb to pursue in his quest for vengeance against the Pharaoh; I know that my continued loyalty to him was confusing to most. Once again, I became more like a servant than a brother, constantly at his command as his right hand in the Rare Hungers. I fought in duels that I didn't want to, and watched as he controlled people through the Millennium Rod, often with inner pain as it reminded me of how his father controlled all of us. And, in his arrogance and stupidity, he urged me to use a fake card that injured me to the point of unconsciousness. But even through that, I remained loyal – to my mother and to the small boy who had called me brother. I had a promise to keep, and I would always work to keep him safe, no matter the personal cost.

And it had cost a lot. In the end, however, my loyalty succeeded in bringing my brother back safe and free of the evil that had plagued him for years. Loyalty had shone through the darkness that his thirst for vengeance had created and made us victorious – not only my loyalty, but his loyalty to me as well. I had been able to rouse myself from the coma that the fake card had sent me into and made it to the dueling are before his evil side crushed the Pharaoh and his friends. Somehow, even through the eyes of his dark half, Marik saw me and his loyalty to me as his older brother broke what control was being held over him. Our loyalty and love for each other could withstand anything.

When one was truly loyal, anything was possible. Any obstacle, any trial, any hardship, could be withstood if one had the loyalty fortifying them. Like gold that is tested in fire, true loyalty can be found only in the most trying of situations. I'd seen proof of that with my travels with Marik.

Or in any of the adventures Yugi and his friends had undertaken with the Pharaoh. The loyalty Yugi's friends had toward the Pharaoh was amazingly strong for people so young, but the strength of the loyalty between the Pharaoh and Yugi blew me away. Both were extremely loyal to the other – the Pharaoh was unwaveringly loyal to his vessel and to keeping him safe. And Yugi – Yugi had shown his loyalty by standing beside the Pharaoh through all of the troubles targeting the both of them. But as true loyalty is only found through the ultimate test, Yugi's loyalty was proven in the Ceremonial Duel. It was his loyalty to the Pharaoh that allowed him to fight on and to send him home. And like any true test of loyalty, it caused the young man a lot of pain.

But he was strong enough to handle it. I removed my weight from the banister and looked up at the stars, thinking, as I usually did, that I could feel my mother looking down at me. Even after all those years, the thought of her watching over me brought me a great deal of comfort. It had taken years, but I had realized that she had never truly left – as long as our bonds of love and loyalty held, she would always be with me. I hoped that Yugi would soon discover that for himself that the Pharaoh would always be with him as long as their loyalty still remained.

And I believed that loyalty was strong enough to last throughout the ravages of time.

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A/N: After Duke, this was probably the most difficult to write. When I finished it, I realized that I didn't put as much stuff about Yugi that I originally intended to – it was a lot more about Odion's history with his family. It bothered me a little, but then I realized that was how all of the Ishtars' perspectives were going…so I went ahead and let it stay as is.

So, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! And now, we just have the final two chapters, Yugi and Yami, to go…and I am totally terrified! I want a lot of work to go into these, so it may take a little longer than my other updates. I just don't know yet. So, just in case, I hope this quick update will keep people from getting too impatient with me...

Anyway, thanks again for reading and please review!


	12. Letting Go

Greetings Readers! Thanks once again for continuing to follow these perspectives! Thanks also to those who have commented and favorited this story – you inspire me to keep going.

At long last, we get to Yugi's perspective. This was an interesting one to write, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It is obnoxiously long, but I couldn't cut out any of it. You've been seeing what the other characters have to say about Yugi and how they think he was able to say goodbye to Yami…but what was going on through his head? Now, you have the chance to read what I think he could have been thinking. This takes place six months after the Ceremonial Duel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters.

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_There is no way that this is happening to me – it's just too good to be true._

I opened my eyes to look up into Téa's beautiful face as she smiled at me. A delightful blush had spread across her face as she slowly leaned towards me. "I mean it, Yugi." It came as a sweet whisper, but I had never heard her sound so sure of herself. _This is all a dream, all a really, __really__ nice dream and I'm going to wake up in a minute and find it was all – _

But then her lips were upon mine, and I didn't bother to think of anything else anymore. I just let myself get lost in the soft pressure of her lips and the sweet smell of warm peaches that always clung to her skin. I had to push a little on my toes to meet her embrace, but I was too occupied with being elated to feel embarrassed. Slowly as though not to break the fragility of the moment, my arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her in closer as I felt her arms envelop my neck. I stopped trying to understand why she'd done this and surrendered myself to the bliss of the kiss. This was heaven, this was a miracle, this was wonderful…

After what must have been eons, a car horn sounded behind her and we were forced to break apart. Téa leaned her forehead against mine. "That will be my dad."

"Hmm. You'd better go then."

"Yeah." Neither of us let go of the other. There was a brief pause before she spoke again. "Yugi?"

"Hmm?"

"I really should leave."

"That's true – you wouldn't want to make your dad angry."

"Yugi Mutou." She pulled back from me and forked her hands on her hips with an amused smile. "You aren't scared of my father, are you?"

"Well, let's see. I've fought evil rings," I held up my hand and began ticking off the list with my fingers, "ancient spirits, and people who have been possessed." I dropped my hand and grinned. "Of course I'm scared of him! What's all that compared to an enraged father?"

She giggled and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Bye, Yugi. I guess…I'll see you in school tomorrow." I grinned even more at the blush once again staining her face.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." If I sounded anything as light-headed as I felt, I was done for. She waved at me before dashing with her usual grace to her father's car. I watched them drive away until I could no longer see the beam of their headlights, then I turned to the game shop and unlocked the door with surprisingly steady fingers before walking inside.

My heart was thudding. _Must. Not. Squeal. Like a girl. _I fought the impulse as long as I could, but I could see that it was no use. _Oh well, it's not like anyone's here anyway since Grandpa's on that dig._

"She loves me!"

It was a very, very good thing that no one was around to hear me – I might have punctured their eardrums if there were. But my excitement was too great to be contained. What I had always thought would never happen had just happened: Téa was in love with me!

I turned to run up the stairs. Just yelling wasn't enough anymore, I had to tell someone. _I can't wait to tell Yami!_

I froze as the thought registered in my mind and I realized what I'd just thought. I could feel my face falling slightly as I slowly walked the rest of the way up the stairs and into my room. Suddenly the house I had just been grateful was empty seemed far too empty. I sat on my bed and sighed to myself. I reached my hand up to where the Puzzle used to rest on my chest, something I hadn't done in weeks, and then let it fall to my knees. The Puzzle was gone, and so was Yami – I knew that as well as anyone. The weight of the Puzzle no longer hung around my neck, so why did my shoulders feel so heavy?

I lay back on my bed and looked up through the skylight where the stars were beginning to appear. I sighed. _I sure miss you, Yami._

It had been six months since I sent Yami back to the afterlife in the Ceremonial Duel. After all that time, I no longer reached for the Puzzle every few minutes. I didn't think that I heard Yami call to me through our mind link. I was able to breathe without thinking of him, and duel without wondering when he'd ask to take over. But none of that meant that I didn't miss him.

I tried so hard not to let my own grief show – I needed to be there for my friends. It was hard to allow myself to grieve for him because it was hard to believe that he'd left. The first few weeks afterwards had been the hardest; it wasn't until I stepped into my house that I truly realized that he was gone. It was easier to avoid the truth of his departure when we were in a foreign place, but back home everything had memories of him. Like the mirror where I got ready for the Pharaoh's 'date' with Téa. Or the desk where'd we reason out strategies and plan out our deck. Or my bed where we'd just sit and talk – not just about take-over-the-world schemes or upcoming duels, but anything. It didn't matter that Yami had seen everything I'd seen and vice versa since we shared the same body – we'd still talk it over. He would've loved hearing about this – probably would have teased me about Téa and given me a pep talk when I doubted her choice. I still needed to talk about it but Joey, as much as I valued him as my best friend, just wouldn't be right right now.

Before I got back home from Egypt, all I thought was that I'd made Yami leave, and was glad that I'd helped him home, even though it hurt. Surrounded by the familiar trappings and old memories of home, I realized that he was truly gone for good. Before, I'd just been saying goodbye; after, I realized how permanent the goodbye was. And it hurt. I would get frustrated with myself for winning, and sometimes, in my weaker, more selfish moments, I would get angry at Yami for going. _I thought we were partners, _I would think to him, _How could you leave me?_ I would instantly feel abashed when I thought that – Yami didn't go to leave us, he went because he needed to be back where he belonged all along. I knew that, and I knew that it was my highest honor as his friend to give him the chance to go there. But I still missed him.

Ryou had told me that it had taken awhile to get over his yami's departure, but he'd been able to. So I knew that I could too, and, day by day, I became better able to deal with Yami being gone. It was just hard because I felt like part of myself was missing, and I wasn't totally sure which part had left.

I felt a smile graze my lips as I thought of something similar that Téa had just said. She'd been explaining that, while she'd loved me for a long time, it had taken her this long to tell me because she wanted to be sure of herself. She confessed that she'd had difficulty telling me apart from Yami, and then her face had blushed bright red and she'd given me a look that was both guilty and apologetic at the same time. I'd quickly grabbed her hand and assured her that I understood, that it was okay; and that was when she'd – A pleased blush now burned my cheeks as I thought of what had followed. But I didn't just say that I understood to make her feel better. She had trouble telling us apart? I smiled. She didn't know the half of it.

Even now, after all this time, I still had trouble telling us apart. I was still trying to figure out where Yami stopped and I began. When I'd first realized his presence, the differences between the two of us were obvious and clear; but as time passed the boundaries between our two personalities became blurred and nearly impossible to decipher. Then again, we'd been through so much together that we were probably more similar than I realized. And even from the beginning, our relationship had been so different from any other that it was difficult to figure out anyway.

I mean, the first time we actually came face to face was when we were dueling Ryou's yami in the Shadow Realm. Oddly enough, I felt no shock or fear when I saw him, only a strange sort of recognition that had nothing to do with the fact that he looked a lot like me. It was sort of like meeting a person you'd been told about all your life, but never seen – a kind of recognition that takes place on instinct rather than on sight. Despite the bizarre circumstances we found ourselves in, I completely trusted the 'cool Yugi,' as Joey so tactfully put it, to guide us through. Somehow, I had the feeling that he'd done that before.

I did trust him, which might have been why what he did in the duel with Kaiba terrified me so much. I had trusted him, much like I instinctively trusted anyone – and then I realized that I had no control in making him keep that trust. I was able to save Kaiba, but I didn't know if I could save the next potential victim. The fear of losing Grandpa combined with my fear of my dark half overwhelmed me and I couldn't take the risk of losing control, even if it cost me Grandpa. The trust I had established in Yami fell apart, and I couldn't even imagine us working together.

However, we became allies when he pleaded with me to let him duel when we faced Mai. My fundamental fear towards him was that he could take over my body without my consent. But he was asking for my permission, he was respecting my wishes, and once again I could trust him.

In our duel with Pegasus, we became more than allies, we became partners. Yami listened to my suggestion of mind switching and we were able to outsmart Pegasus for most of the duel. When I was under considerable strain in the Shadow Realm, he became very protective over me, trying to spare me what pain he could. I could sense his own panic as I lost consciousness, and even as I fell, I realized that we were more than just partners. We were friends – friends that completely trusted each other. And together, we saved Grandpa and the Kaiba brothers.

He'd done so much for me that I wanted to do the same for him, not because I wanted to settle some debt but because we were friends. That friendship was what kept me in the burning warehouse after Bandit Keith set it on fire so I could assemble the Puzzle. There was no way I would abandon a friend to a fiery inferno…but it was more than that. It never occurred me to leave him behind – my only thoughts were focused in completing the Puzzle and getting us both out of there. I'm sure it gave Joey and Tristan a shock to see me refusing to let go when they were able to break in, but they know better than to talk me out of leaving him.

That day worried Yami, not just because we'd both been trapped in a fire that he could have literally melted in, but because it made him realize how little he knew about himself. Before that, I think he was more occupied in protecting me and our friends to think about himself – but once he did, it pained him how little he knew. He never showed me that, but I somehow understood it, and I was prepared to do whatever I could to help him discover his memories.

Even if he didn't always approve of my methods. I gave an amused smirk. Like the date that I tricked into going on with Téa; I'd never felt him so flustered in my life. I probably could have tried easing him into the idea a bit more gradually, but I felt he'd probably fight it all the way – not because he disliked her, but because he knew how I felt about her. That, and it was really funny to surprise him. But I didn't just call it a date for simplicity's sake; I also wanted to give Téa the chance to spend time with Yami. I was completely oblivious to Téa's feelings about me, but I knew about her crush on Yami almost from the beginning. I wanted to give her the chance to tell him how she felt, even if that meant ripping my heart to shreds. But that never ended up happening since Téa didn't tell him anything like that, I couldn't tell if Yami felt like that about her or anyone, and we were soon too busy to worry about it anyway when the Battle City tournament overtook everything.

The entire Battle City tournament was like a nightmare, one that I couldn't wake up from, no matter how hard I tried. I watched people fight me who were completely mind controlled, frightening when they were innocent strangers but heart-stopping when they were my friends. It was a terror that I hadn't thought possible to see the eyes of my friends, once so bright become so dark and dull when they lost control. I'd had to watch my friends collapse like flies in the face of Marik's vengeance. Mai. Joey. Ryou. It was hard to remain strong for my friends when my heart felt like it was breaking over and over again, but I had to try. The only one I couldn't manage to fool was Yami, but I guess that made sense since we did share a mind.

But out of all that horror, something good came – Yami and I became even closer than before. We'd talked before, discussed things before, I'd even been in his soul room once or twice, but with all the stuff the Battle City tournament was throwing at us, we began talking more. He comforted me during the times that I could no longer hide my fear and grief, I stood beside him when he let his sorrow take over, and we talked about everything that was going on. It was pointless not to; he knew everything that I was thinking and although he could hide things from me, he chose to keep nothing hidden. When everything else was unpredictable, I knew that he would constantly be there for me – and I hope that he felt that same about me. And together we pulled through, everything was safe, and things went back to normal – or as much as they could be around us. I don't know how we could have made it without Yami to keep us strong.

Strength. It wasn't until everything that was cleared up that I remembered what Yami had been thinking right after I broke Joey out of his mind control. _Aibou, you've made me realize the strength you possess, hidden by your tenderness. One day you'll surpass me by far._ When I had the time to think about it, I had to turn that thought over and over in my mind, trying to get the hang of it. _It was like he was saying I'm stronger than he is. _But that couldn't be right. I couldn't believe for one moment that this confident, imposing Egyptian pharaoh could be less strong than I was. I didn't think that he was a liar, just that he was confused. He cared about me a lot so his confidence in me was biased. So what if he'd never been wrong before; sooner or later he'd have to be wrong about something.

But he wasn't about this. I saw that much after the adventure with Dartz and the Leviathan. I could understand the anger boiling in Yami's veins when we dueled Rafael, but I didn't think he would let it take control of him. When it did, it absolutely terrified me – it reminded me so much of when I'd had to break him out of the duel with Kaiba. Only this time I couldn't do it. Yami literally shook my fears off and I could only watch in horror as I was blocked off from preventing his movements. I wasn't even horrified because of what he'd just done to me – the thought didn't even cross my mind. All I remember thinking was, _How could you do this, Yami? What are you doing to yourself?_

A lot of the conversations we would have in my bedroom or in his soul room on those nights I couldn't sleep would touch on what happened next. _How could you do that, Aibou?_ He would ask me, guilt leaking into his voice. _How could you sacrifice yourself like that for me? _I would tell him, honestly, that I didn't even think about it – I just did it. It was the right thing to do, and he'd saved me in the end, anyway. But that trip had completely devastated him in a way that completely floored me. Our friends told me about how much my loss had affected him, but somehow I already knew.

From the time I was taken by the Seal until a few moments before Yami saw me in Death Valley, I couldn't remember anything: no bitterness, no sadness, nothing. But in the few moments before he arrived, I learned everything that had happened without being told, and somehow I knew exactly what I had to do to help him. I had to bite back my disgust at first at the way I was treating him, but I knew that it had to be done. I saw how truly sorry he was and it took me aback – and so I was so grateful and almost proud of him when he won so that I could then reassure him. It felt so wonderful to have him supporting me, to feel that human contact that I hadn't felt for so long, and I couldn't feel the bond between us solidifying and growing strong, which was comforting. I was just opening my eyes to see him to congratulate him when I saw all the fear and relief and confusion warring in his face. And in that moment, I realized how much he needed me to be strong. He asked, "Now what?" He was the one who always knew what we had to do and how we were going to do it, and for once I needed to take that responsibility away from him. It was my turn to support him. I gripped his arm encouragingly and told him to keep fighting, that I would always be with him. In that moment, I realized how true that was and how much he really needed that.

"Remember, I'll always be with you."

That hadn't been the only time he needed me, either; there was also our trip into the world of his memories. Again, I didn't understand how much he needed me there – I just knew that we had to be there to support him in his most personal quest. We made it just in time for me to catch Yami as he fell from his hose, and even I was surprised at how quickly I was able to more to get to him. He'd looked so vulnerable, even though he was as regal as ever in his royal clothing, and I was afraid that maybe we'd gotten there too late. But then Yami had opened his eyes and seen all of us, and although he tried to persuade us to get someplace safe I could tell he was happy to see us. Yami's eyes locked onto mine, and the gratitude and relief I saw there was overwhelming. I gripped his hand like I had gripped his arm in Death Valley, and the instant our hands clasped, I could see renewed strength growing in his face. In the proud, confident figure he struck as he ran back to his hose, I knew that he had more hope than he had before and it made my heart stop beating. I really did help him be strong.

It was that newfound strength and confidence in myself that made me so willing to duel Yami so that he could go back home. He knew that I was strong, and I thought that I was strong, and now was the time to show it to everyone else. The truth of what victory would mean should I win was in the back of my mind, but I pushed it away so I could focus on the goal. Besides, once we started I got so caught up in the duel itself that I started enjoying it. This was the ultimate duel, the ultimate challenge, and I couldn't wait to show the others what I could do. It was a hard-fought duel, but I believed in myself all the way through all the twists and surprises, and was able to counter everything he threw at me. I couldn't help but feel a little smug as I heard the gasps of everyone when the gold sarcophagues opened and I was able to send Slifer the Sky Dragon into the graveyard – again. No one had seen that coming or could believe that I could make that happen – no one except for Yami. I saw his proud, somewhat reserved smile and was about to grin back when I looked into his eyes and realized what I was about to do. For a minute, I couldn't breathe.

I had been able to push the thought away in the excited adrenaline rush of the duel, but now the truth was crushing the life out of me. Yami was about to leave us – forever – and it was all because of me. He'd done so much for all of us…how was I supposed to go on without him? I could feel the others' stares and confused questions, but I couldn't do it. My shoulders slumped forward, my bangs shading my face as I tried to hold back the tears. How could I send away the person who'd been so much to me? I couldn't –

_It's all right, Yugi. Proceed._

I tilted my head in surprise. I knew that Yami hadn't spoken out loud, and that our mind link had been cut when we split into two at the beginning of the duel…but I could suddenly hear his voice in the back of my mind like he was speaking right next to me. I jerked my head and saw, though the tears, Yami's face smiling at me with his smile warmer now, like that of a father encouraging his son to take his first independent steps. With renewed determination, I flung out my arm and yelled, "All right, Silent Magician! Attack his life points directly!"

In spite of the determination, I couldn't bear to watch as the light of the blow engulfed him. He took the blow and then stood proud and strong as he always did – and I collapsed to the ground as the monsters disappeared above my head. I could no longer hide the tears, and they flowed freely down my face as I wept. There was no going back now, he was leaving. And it was all my fault.

I could see Yami's legs through my bangs as he walked towards me and then kneeled in front of me. He put his hand on my shoulder, which relieved a little of the pain in my heart. He raised me to my feet and for the first time we were eye-to-eye as he looked and me and removed his hands from my shoulders. I could never hide anything from him and I didn't intend to try when this was the last time we'd see each other, so I let the words spill from my lips.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"You do realize we'll never truly be apart, right? The gift of kindness you've given me, and the courage I've given you, will remain with us. And that will forever bind us together."

_Forever._ Something in his words sent a bolt of strength through me, and I could feel the determination within me overpowering my grief. "Right."

Something in the strength he'd just given me let me watch him walk to the Eye of Wdjat without trying to stop him. It let me see him shout out his name – the name I'd fought to retrieve in a battle on my own – to the afterlife. It let me be the one yelling encouragement at him for a change. And it let me watch him walk through the doorway to his rest, his clothes seamlessly changing into his regal cape, with profound joy, knowing that he'd finally be at peace.

With that strength, I was able to say goodbye to the closest friend I'd ever known.

Now that Yami's spirit was at rest, someone needed to be the leader, the person who kept everyone calm and inspired. Since I'd gotten that strength from him at the end, I chose to fill that need. I encouraged them and comforted them, and together we were able to take tentative steps into our futures without him. That meant I needed to hid my own grief, something I succeeded only partially in since the others also worked to console me when they saw how much I missed him. I appreciated their compassion and was grateful for their concerns, but my grief was on a different plane then theirs – not stronger necessarily, but certainly not comparable.

Our relationship was one that, in the end, no one but us could understand. Bakura had also lost a yami, but their situation wasn't the same. Everyone had lost a friend, but that wasn't quite the same either. Odion and Ishizu had lost their brother for a time, but even that wasn't close enough. The love between Yami and me was like that of a father and son, or the love between brothers, or among friends, or shared by soul mates. It was all of these at once and at the same time none of them. It wasn't something I could explain, and it wasn't something they could understand, although I know they tried. In the end, there was only one person who could understand fully what I felt – and he was gone forever.

But was he? I sat up, noticing that it was the first time since he'd left that thoughts of Yami weren't accompanied by a hollow sadness. Instead there was a gentle, soothing warmth in its place, and the words, _you do know that we'll never truly be apart, right?_

He had said that after the Ceremonial Duel, right before he'd left. I had clung to those words and to the comfort they held, but I don't think I'd actually allowed myself to believe them. But I was strong enough now. "We will always be together, Yami," I spoke into the darkness, "even if I never see you again, I know that the courage you taught me will always be a part of me, and it will keep me strong."

The warmth continued to grow, and I felt complete for the first time in six months. And I knew that Yami was still with me, his memory giving me strength. Strangely, I knew with certainty that we would no meet in this lifetime again – but it did not cause me the same pain it had before. At last I knew the truth – that the bond we shared was so powerful that we didn't need to see each other to feel it, it was still there.

_You do know that we'll never truly be apart, right?_

"Yes, I do." And at last, I really did.

It had taken all of my strength to beat Yami in the Ceremonial Duel. It had taken even more strength to let him go without selfishly trying to hold him back. Now I needed to have the strength to live the rest of my days out in the way I should - with no regrets. I owed that much to my friends. And especially to Yami, who'd helped me discover my own strength in the first place. Yami had given me courage – and I could think of no better way to honor my friend's memory than to use it.

And I would.

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A/N: Phew. Writing that was kind of like running a marathon. I kept wanting to stop and catch my breath, and when I was done I was exhausted…sort of. I will not lie, I got a little weepy at the end when I had to write about the two saying goodbye. I am not immune to my own sap.

Have you ever noticed that, whenever you try to explain a person's actions or emotions, you tend to project your own values and beliefs on that person? That was the kind of feeling I got when I was writing all the other perspectives when they were talking about Yugi. He did it because he was loyal, because Yami was his brother, because Yami was his friend, because it was his duty…and so on. I was excited about writing this because I finally got to show what Yugi was thinking – and predictably it was a little bit of all of these things! I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading! Yami is the final one to write, and then I'll be writing a little follow-up to wrap everything up. I really want to do Yami's POV justice, so it may take a little while – but I'll try and be quick. (*cough* Reviews help me speed up the writing process. *coughcough*)

Thanks again, and please review!


	13. Finding Happiness

Greetings Readers! Here we are at the end – pretty much! Thanks for reading! A special thanks to all you reviewers, you inspire me! As for those who asked if reviews actually made me work faster – they made me post this chapter earlier than I was expecting because I was able to finish it earlier than I thought as I just couldn't stop! So yes, they do. :) I hope that you enjoy this – without further ado, here is Yami's perspective.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters.

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Time didn't have much significance in the afterlife.

It could have been years or months or seconds since Yugi had won the duel and we'd said goodbye – I couldn't tell and it didn't make much of a difference. But the inability to tell how much time had passed was a little disorienting – and the afterlife wasn't what I had expected it to be. I had read all of the texts and heard all of the stories as a child in Egypt, but none of that prepared me for what would happen when I arrived here. All I knew was that it was where I needed to be, and the other details would come to me at the proper time.

The first thing that struck me was the peace of the place. Then I realized that there was no color – only shades of light that thinned and thickened to form the landscape. Although I had seen my friends from Egypt awaiting me through the gateway, I had no idea how the gods would choose to make the afterlife look for me. Would it look like my homeland or the palace, like the life that was actually mine but I could barely remember? Or would it look like modern Japan or Yugi's hometown, like the life I'd only spent three years in but knew better than any other time in the more than five thousand years of my existence? If anything, the afterlife looked more like my palace in Egypt than it did anything else, although it was not exactly how I remembered the palace. Everything was made of the different shades and thicknesses of light, and it was all very fluid and transient and malleable. There was almost a feeling that all could change in an instant to serve the whims of the gods, but that caused me no distress. Only peace existed in this place.

I rose from what passed for sleep and left my private chambers, walking along the hallway to the throne room and noted that none of my friends were seated there with some relief. Although I was grateful to be reunited with them, any sort of interaction in the throne room tended to be awkward. In the shadow of the throne, they were reminded of the weight of my title or of the sacrifice I had made all those years ago, and it would show in their speech and their attitudes. More often than not, they would plead with me to sit on the throne whenever we would talk here – never mind that I hadn't been a ruler in over five thousand years or that I had actually ruled the kingdom for less than a week. It was just how they were accustomed to think of me – as the king on his throne. It had taken time but I'd slowly been able to convince them to let me sit at the table where they all gathered – although occasionally one member of the council would speak up and insist on the formality. Most of the time, Mana was the one who brought the matter up, but I could tell that she wasn't devoted to upholding protocol – she simply saw how much it embarrassed me and liked pulling the prank. She was still as mischievous as I remembered.

I continued my walk through the throne room and out into the royal gardens. Really, it was comforting how much I did remember of my old life now that I was here. I had feared that regaining my memories would be as laborious as it had been when I had to face Zorc, and that I would begin my time in eternity with virtual strangers. Instead, it was amazing how quickly the memories had all rushed back, like a dusty old bottle of wine that had been dusted and uncorked, with the richest, most rewarding vintage flowing from its mouth. I could remember friendships and outings and secrets with effortless ease and none of those memories collided or crashed with those from my other life.

I continued my relaxed walk through the gardens of light, pausing to brush my fingers across the surface of the water of the fountains or to smell the ethereal scent of some of the flowers. There was a bench at the very edge of the garden that overlooked the afterlife-Egypt, and I settled myself on it. Letting out a small breath, I slowly leaned into the back of the bench and let my eyes skim over the city. Everything was at peace, and I could feel contentedness seeping into the corners of my soul.

It was possible to be content without being happy.

Not that I was technically unhappy – just a little lonely and empty. I was grateful for the companionship of my friends from my ancient past, but I could not keep from missing my friends from Yugi's time. I sighed as I once again thanked the gods that I was able to remember them – while I would never willingly forget them, I did not know which memories I would be permitted to take with me. But I remembered them all.

Tristan with his steadfast courage and his willingness to give all his support to his friends as he cheered from the sidelines. Téa, a little over zealous perhaps, but always very compassionate and with a spirit that was bold and confident. Joey, who'd taken to me as his other best friend, and whose silliness masked an intense loyalty that rivaled Mahado's with its strength. And Yugi…

I released a sigh and leaned against the back of the bench, closing my eyes to the city of light. Yugi. He was the one I missed the most, and the one I had talked about most when I mentioned that time to my friends here. Not that I had talked about it much, although whether to spare myself the sadness or to selfishly keep those memories to myself I was not sure. I felt a smile that intertwined quiet joy and grief so tightly that one emotion could not be distinguish one from the other tease the sides of my mouth, my normal expression when I thought of Yugi.

It was odd to think that I was in a place of light when my own light was no longer with me. It was hard to believe that things had not grown blacker when Yugi and I had separated – but then, I must have underestimated the strength of his light. Nothing that it touched could ever grow dark and cold again. It had certainly changed me forever.

Light. It was what I first noticed when Yugi had solved the Puzzle and set me free; all the bright, revealing light that filled every corner of the Puzzle and then every corner of the strange bedroom when I took control of Yugi's body. The darkness of my imprisonment was so profound that I could not even fathom the concept of light after five thousand years. But it was so beautiful, so profound, so enlightening that it simply took my breath away. Air. I did not need to breathe when I was entrapped in the Puzzle, so being released was like taking in a deep gulp of air after holding my breath for over five thousand years. It rushed into my mouth and burned my nose, but it was so invigorating and intoxicating that I could not get enough of it. I did not remember what had happened to me to bring me to that place and I was unaware of where I was then, but it did not matter. In that moment of air and light, I made a promise to always protect the one who had set me free.

In the beginning, I kept to myself for the most part, only appearing when my host had need of protection. I did not want to intrude on his life more than absolutely necessary – I had already taken up residence in his mind without his awareness or consent. Therefore, I spent all of my time not protecting him in my soul room, not even attempting to walk into the other contours of his mind – I had no right to be there. While it may have sounded to the others as though it was no different than my time in the Puzzle, there were all the differences in the world. Here there was air, here there was light, and here I could feel the warmth of a pure and compassionate soul. In my months of simply watching over the young boy, I began actually watching him – and the young one impressed me. For one who had the face and build of a child, he had one of the most mature minds that I had ever come in contact with, and the breadth of his compassion and forgiveness was amazing. No one could watch him and not become drawn to him; without realizing it, I became more than his protector, I became his guardian. I would do whatever I could to spare him harm or distress.

Although I was the one causing him distress when he first become truly aware of my presence. I was so quick to move against Kaiba in the duel in Duelist Kingdom so that I could save Yugi's grandpa that I somehow missed the terror in his part of our mind. With his pure heart, he couldn't risk the chance that Kaiba would get injured, and I felt his consciousness stirring for the first time during a duel. He quickly tried to come up with another way, but I knew there was none. Despite the desperation I could sense from him, I let my pride and the desire to save his grandfather overwhelm his protests and made the move to strike Kaiba. And then Téa ran up to us and Yugi ripped control back from me, falling to his hands and knees in shock.

My heart broke as I looked at the horror, shock, and terror petrifying his face and streaming from his eyes. It broke even more when I heard the words coming from his mouth.

"I'm afraid…of the spirit inside me. So afraid that I will never duel again."

What had I done? I had been right, hadn't I? I needed to save his grandpa. But – nothing that was right could cause the young one so much pain. When he had taken back control, I had retreated into my soul room and leaned against the door. I was able to see and hear everything, and I shielded my eyes with my hand. For some time, I had selfishly wanted to reveal my presence to Yugi, to try and get to know him better, to let him know me. But I would rather be unknown and unnoticed forever than to be the one who caused such anguish.

The one who I promised to protect, the one who had given me everything – was afraid of me.

The grief and guilt in my own heart was almost unbearable, but I shoved it away. There was no time for self-pity; I still had a duty to help Yugi rescue his grandpa. My own happiness could come later, if I ever had the chance to explain myself. But first I had to regain his trust so I could fulfill my promise.

It was difficult to regain that trust – Yugi had an incredible strength of spirit. He cared so much for others that he was willing to sacrifice his own wants and his own family rather than allow people to get hurt. To my relief, I was able to convince him to trust me again in our duel with Mai, and together we stepped into the final duels as a team.

We truly became partners in our duel with Pegasus. When I couldn't decide how to overcome Pegasus' mind reading ability, Yugi was the one to come up with a plan and for the first time we were able to look at each other face-to-face in the corridor between our soul rooms. In the beginning, I was only listening to show that I would value his opinions and input, but it was a very clever plan. I fully supported it – until we were sucked into the Shadow Realm. The Shadow Realm held torment that few humans had ever undergone, and I tried to protect Yugi from squandering his energy there. But then I had underestimated his devotion to his grandfather – he didn't care what risks he had to endure to bring him home. I admired that strength, but it was that devotion that led to Yugi's collapse. It hit me how much he really trusted me when, even as he was collapsing, he told me to beat Pegasus. I could not deny the request.

I will admit that it was difficult to maintain my composure, when I saw Yugi's soul body on the floor. I bit back a self-critical smirk. Actually, I pretty much lost all of it. I didn't realize how much I had come to care for him, how much I relied on him, until I saw him lying nearly lifeless on the ground. I very nearly gave up hope in my desperation when his grandfather somehow came to encourage me. With Yugi's card and strength, his friends' protection, and his grandfather's encouragement, we were able to prevail and save the souls Pegasus had imprisoned.

And Yugi and I became friends.

It brought me unutterable happiness to see him smiling at me, his eyes no longer fearful but grateful, after the duel, but I managed to remain reserved. When he asked my name, I didn't know what to tell him; 'Pharaoh' felt too formal, 'Yu-Gi-Oh' too grandiose. I settled on 'Yami' instead, meaning darkness, because I had been in darkness until Yugi had brought me his light.

Our friendship warmed up considerably after we all arrived safely home. He was eager to include me in everything, and I loosened enough of my reserve that I could tease him almost like a younger brother. I learned more and more about my hikari in the talks we had, and I felt like I knew him better than I knew myself. But Yugi had a lot of hidden facets to show me, one being just how self-sacrificial he was. When we were both trapped in the burning warehouse by Bandit Keith, Yugi physically exhausted and myself in pieces, I would have completely understood if he had run to safety. Instead, he stayed in harm's way to piece together the Puzzle, the heat building until he finally passed out from the exposure. And then Tristan and Joey had to break my chain loose from the wall because, even semi-conscious, Yugi refused to abandon me.

The events of the day gave me a jolt – not only because Yugi and I had nearly perished but because we'd encountered an enemy who knew a lot about my past. It brought into glaring clarity how little I knew about myself and that disturbed me. I had been so occupied in helping Yugi that I hadn't been concerned about my past, but now I had to know. I would never neglect Yugi in my quest to find myself, but I would find some way to discover who I was without involving him. But I didn't have to. When Yugi figured out what was worrying me, he made it his mission to help me out in whatever way he could.

Including some plans that were far more devious than I'd give my seemingly innocent Aibou credit for. Laughter rumbled from my chest when I remembered the date that Yugi had set me up on with Téa, although at the time I did not feel much like laughing. I'd never felt that kind of flustered before, and I could distinctly hear Yugi snickering through the mind-link as I overreacted to the unexpected switch. For once, I felt completely ill at ease – I didn't understand exactly what this 'date' that I heard Yugi referring to was, but this seemed a lot like courting, and I didn't feel that way towards Téa. She was a sweet, wonderful girl whose friendship I valued, but I didn't have that kind of a love for her – besides, I had a feeling that my little hikari had feelings of that bent for her. I hadn't intended to use in against him, I smirked in remembrance, but after what he'd done I wasn't going to hold back on it any longer.

Fortunately, the 'date' wasn't much like courting and I was able to learn about my past, although my findings were far from clear. I had intended to follow them more closely, but then Battle City had happened and my past came to me instead. I couldn't help but feel responsible for all that happened there, although it was not technically my fault. It was Marik's thirst for vengeance against me that caused him to leave the tomb, which made Ishizu request that Kaiba host the tournament to lure her brother back in. It was his desire to defeat me that led him to control Téa and Joey, forcing Yugi to battle for his friends' freedom. Marik showed no hesitation in knocking out our friends like flies, and I sensed that his hatred of me was blinding him. I felt responsible for everything, and I regretted the torment my friends were experiencing.

But out of that terrible time came something good – Yugi and I became closer. Through all the obstacles that were being thrown at us, we began depending on each other for advice and counsel. I was able to comfort Yugi and soothe his fears when the prospect of losing our friends became too much, and he was able to stand by me when my grief became too much and spilled from my eyes – the only one I could allow to see me cry. And together as a team, we persevered and were able to free Marik and all of our friends as well as find out more details to unlocking the mysteries of my past.

Mysteries that remained locked as we found ourselves swept into the task of preventing Dartz from unleashing the Leviathan. I looked down at my hands which had suddenly clenched at the remembering of that time. That was how Yugi had always referred to it when we talked – he never mentioned the Seal of Oreikalcos in order to spare me from the shame and guilt that wracked me at the thought of the Seal.

Even in this place of peace, I could never prevent the shame from coming when I thought of how my actions had sent Yugi away. He, being the forgiving soul he was, never thought the worse of me for it, but the knowledge of how powerful my anger had been made me shudder. I had let the darkness consume me until it banished all traces of my hikari from me, leaving only an empty shell. I never realized how sustaining Yugi's warmth and presence and heart was until they had been stripped away, making me cold, weak, and unfeeling. I let myself drown in my depression, never forgetting what I had done, until I had a chance to see Yugi again.

I could remember how hope had blossomed in my heart when I saw him, tired but unharmed, for the first time since the duel – and then how quickly that hope had then withered when he began yelling at me in pure anger. The pureness and sweetness of my Aibou seemed to have been tainted and corrupted by his imprisonment, and it was all my fault. I fought him reluctantly, and only because he had requested it; it felt like I was betraying him all over again. To save the world, I had to defeat Yugi – but watching him be knocked into the ground by the force of my attack sent a stab of horror through my heart. Seeing my Aibou crumpled on the ground, I couldn't keep myself from running to his side to see if he was still all right. I expected a malicious glare; instead I was greeted by the warm eyes and affectionate smile I was so accustomed to seeing on Yugi's face. He touched my arm in a reassuring way as I supported him into sitting, and in his hoarse, exhausted voice he spoke words of comfort and courage. In those words, everything was made right that had been wrong, and even when he vanished in the ball of light he left behind a much more resolute man than had been there before. I had been falling apart, but Yugi in that brief moment had been able to pick up the pieces and put me together again. His expertise in puzzle solving went beyond that of ancient Egyptian puzzles; he continued to resolve me and keep me together.

I had established myself as his protector when he'd solved the Puzzle and set me free, but I noticed that, more and more as time went by, that our roles were reversed. He'd saved me from the Seal and then he'd saved me from the depression that was controlling me. And then, in the world of my memories he came to my rescue again.

Seeing all the parts of my past life in such distinct vividness had taken me aback. Until then, all I'd had of memories of the place were cloudy, obscured, and unclear. Now, those memories had been dusted off and polished, almost gleaming with their color and brilliance. But even though they were clearer in my sight, they were no clearer in my mind – I remembered only enough about the place to thoroughly confuse me when I tried to reconcile the hazy memories to the people and places I could talk to and see. I was essentially all alone in a place where I had to save the world from an ancient evil – for the second time – but I could not remember how I did it. But I had to find a way – the safety of Yugi, our friends, and all of mankind was dependent on my victory. I would protect him.

But, I couldn't even protect myself. Through all of my determined stances and confident battle plans, I could feel my own strength leaking away. I didn't notice it at first, being so preoccupied with trying to figure out what to do, but as I rode out after Bakura, I nearly couldn't keep on the horse for feeling so weak. But I would keep fighting – until my final breath. When Slifer was attacked and I felt the bolt of agonizing, tortuous pain flaming in my chest, I thought that it was my last breath. I tried to fight on, but could no longer combat the blackness obscuring my mind. As I fell, my last thought was, _I'm so sorry, Yugi. I'm sorry for failing you._

The surprise was enormous when I found I was able to open my eyes. It was an even greater surprise to see Yugi when I opened them. I tried to get them to safety, but I will admit to being grateful that they refused. Yugi smiled at me with the brightness that somehow could not be diminished by the terrible ordeal we were in, and grabbed my hand in a gesture of solidarity. That simple grasp was like a conduit of all my energies – I could feel hope and warmth and determination and strength rushing through our clasped hands, and realized how strong our bond really was. With all that, I was able to return to the battle not knowing how we would win but having hope that a way would be found.

And there was. By Yugi.

It wasn't enough that he'd replenished his strength through our bond. It wasn't enough that he searched for me when I disappeared. It wasn't enough that his support gave me more courage than I'd thought possible. He also was able to win back my name on his own, and so brought the last piece of the puzzle – the most crucial piece – into the game. With that name, I was victorious and, without Yugi, there'd have been no name. The victory over Zorc was as much his as it was mine. We were equals.

That was why it made perfect sense that he should be the one to duel me in the Ceremonial Duel – from a competitor's standpoint. On a more personal, genuine level we both knew it had to be us – I could not permit myself to leave if Yugi was not ready for us to separate, and Yugi needed to see that he could be strong without me. Of course, I knew that he could already, but he had to see it for himself as well as our friends. He fought like the warrior I knew he was, and I had never been prouder of him. I knew he could do it.

I could feel his hesitation before his final move as though it was my own, and I sent him thoughts of encouragement. He might have been able to hear them as he looked up with determination as he ordered the final attack. He stood tall and collected as the brunt of the attack hit me – and then collapsed.

Yugi's shoulders had shaken with his sobs, his tender heart probably aching from grief and a feeling that he had betrayed me by winning. I could understand his tears, as I felt a few prickling the backs of my eyes, but I had to be strong for Yugi. He was no longer my competitor; he was my Aibou as I knelt beside him and comforted him. He tried to blame himself, but I hastened to reassure him; there should be no regrets. The guilt left his eyes, leaving only sadness and slight confusion as he looked up at me. Bringing him to his feet, I noticed that we were now the same height – and I had to swallow over the knot of reminiscence and fatherly pride in my throat. _Aibou had grown up._

I was equally aggrieved, but I had to be strong for Yugi. That determination allowed me to walk away from him, although I longed to cling to him one last time. It let me walk to the gateway and enter with a proud back even when I heard the sadness in my friends' voices. It helped me spare Yugi the grief of seeing me cry or letting him know how much I would miss him.

Not that it would do any harm now. I closed my eyes, and remembered the sound of Yugi's voice. _I'm going to miss you._

"I miss you too, Aibou."

Spoken in a whisper in the otherwise silent garden, the word left a unique sound in the air and a distinct flavor on my tongue. It was the only Japanese word heard or spoken in this world enshrouded in the words and customs of ancient Egypt – but no other word could describe what Yugi was to me, and any attempted translation failed utterly when I would try to explain it to the others here.

Then again, any attempt to explain what Yugi had meant to me failed utterly. No matter how many words I used to try and explain it, I could never find the right ones. But maybe there were none. I was Yugi's protector, I was his guardian, I was his friend, I was his soul mate. I loved him like a brother, guided him like a father, laughed with him as a friend, and we had a kind of connection between our souls and minds that could not be fathomed by other minds, no matter how intelligent or sensitive they might be. At the end, I was his yami and he was my aibou. It didn't explain much, but it was all we needed to know.

Yami. Despite the several thousand years that I had been known as the Pharaoh and the seventeen years I'd been called Atem, Yami still felt like my true name. It was probably because that was what Yugi called me. I leaned back and sighed. I missed the sound of his voice so much some days. At times, if I strained to hear, I could hear his light voice calling my name. It was hard to believe that I would never hear it again, but if I could remember what I had said to him about never being truly apart, it made things easier. I could almost hear him responding –

But wait a moment. I sat up very straight and tilted my head. I didn't just imagine that sound…I could actually hear Yugi speaking! I strained to listen, and the soft but very clear tones filled the air around me. "We will always be together, Yami. Even if I will never see you again, I know that the courage you taught me will always be a part of me, and it will keep me strong."

The words were quietly spoken, but there could be no denying the strength behind them. Although I could not explain how it happened or how I knew, I felt with absolute certainty that I had actually heard Yugi speak. And the realization that I'd heard him sent a cascade of warm light throughout my entire being. And I realized something else.

I was actually happy.

I knew that Yugi was strong, but I couldn't help but wonder how he was doing without me. I didn't know if he'd been able to continue with a normal life after everything that had happened, but hearing his voice assured me. He sounded strong, sure, and like he had no regrets. So I would have none, either.

Well, that was not exactly true…I regretted not embracing Yugi a final time before I left. That, and that when I walked through the gateway to the Afterlife, I didn't get to look back at Yugi and our friends before the doors closed behind me.

I smiled almost sardonically to myself. _But maybe that was just as well._

I wouldn't have been able to see them for the tears.

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A/N: Okay, I'm seriously going to cry now – we're at the end! I am so happy, and at the same time, very sad. But I hope you enjoyed this! Way, way back when I considered writing about the Ceremonial Duel, I didn't know how I was going to do it. I didn't know who I was going to write about. I didn't know what kind of perspective I would write it in. But I did know that final line from the very start – so finally writing it is an interesting feeling.

I wasn't originally going to have Yugi's voice coming to Yami – what he says there is what he said at the end of his perspective – but I felt like Yami deserved to have that kind of closure, so I gave it to him.

Thanks so much for reading all the way through this, and I hope you enjoyed it! The perspectives are over, but I am going to write a wrap-up for the next and final chapter to justify the title that I used for this story – that will be coming soon.

Thanks again, and please review! I want to hear what you think!


	14. To Define Strength

Thanks so much to all of those who have read, favorited and reviewed this story - I appreciate it very much! Over 100! Thanks!

This chapter is not much of a chapter as much as it is a summary. Strength is a lot of different things and what I set about to do in this series of perspectives was to show that, although all the characters are different they all seek to be strong. In their own separate journeys they find their own strength, but none of them find the same thing. I wanted especially to show how much strength Yugi had and that, in their own journeys, they discovered how strong he really was.

This is not a perspective so much as it is me getting on a soapbox - or at least getting really philosophical. Also, it's a way of me trying to justify why I chose the title that I did. You have been warned. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. Shocking, isn't it?

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What is strength, exactly?

Crack open a Webster's dictionary, and it will say that strength is 'the quality or state of being strong; ability to do or to bear; capacity for exertion or endurance, whether physical, intellectual, or mortal; force; vigor; power; as strength of body or of the arm; strength of mind, of memory, or of judgment.' The dictionary is nothing if not thorough.

As thorough as it is, it doesn't quite touch on what strength really is, but it is difficult to put into concrete words what is mutable and subjective. It is impossible to capture the essence of strength in words without violating its truth. Strength, then, cannot be defined, but it can be seen.

It can be seen in action as well as in contemplation. It can be seen in emotional isolation as well as in empathy. It can be seen in following one's set duty and in charting one's unknown course. It can be seen in loyalty that has been tested by tears and by fire. Strength can be manifested in love; love of a brother, love of a friend, and romantic love, requited or denied. Strength can be found in defeat as well as in victory – strength of spirit can show itself even in the apparent weakness of the body. Strength is never giving up the quest for knowledge or truth, even if the journey is perilous or painful. Strength is remembering what is past and releasing it. It is finding happiness in times of grief.

Size means nothing; appearances deceive. Strength is obvious in a clenched fist, but hidden in a compassionate heart. Strength can be shown in fighting, but also in turning the other cheek. A small boy can have the same strength of a mighty king, but the two cannot be compared. Strength cannot be put on a scale of values; no one strength is better than another. Strength's definition depends fully on the person who possesses it, and only they can determine what kind it is.

It just takes true strength to discover it.

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A/N: And now we are at the official end. I would like to extend a very grateful thanks to all those who have reviewed this story and in some way or another have inspired me to keep writing. I had not originally intended to write the perspectives of all the characters at the Duel, but when I was issued the challenge by one of the reviewers to do so, I couldn't resist. I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that you enjoyed it!

R&R


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